Typology and evolution of the new mineralogy developed at the mine waste dump of Valdarcas (Vila Nova de Cerveira - N Portugal) - Environmental Implications
[Abstract] The abandoned waste dump of Valdarcas tungsten skarn deposit — Vila Nova de Cerveira, N Portugal, represents a key site, appropriate to study the environmental problems related to deactivated sulfide tails. The tungsten mineralization which occurs in coexistence with metallic sulfide minerals, calcium silicates and carbonates, confers to this deposit special characteristics. The water-mineral interactions at the waste dump surface, leads to the generation of acid mine waters (AMD) with high content of metals and sulfate (ASW), related to the sulfide minerals alteration. Consequently occurs the contamination of the Coura river system Simultaneously the alteration of calcium silicates and carbonates produces neutralization reactions, and the development of a new mineralogy - soluble salts, iron crusts and clay minerals. The new paragenesis reflects the occurrence of wet-dry cycles, related to the seasonal variations of rainfall. These geochemical trends and their role in the process evolution of the waste dump surface to the stabilization are the main subject of this work.The soluble salts, iron crusts and the clay minerals have different capacities and mechanisms to fixate the chemical potential associated to the AMD/ASW. The instability of the salt minerals leads only to a temporary fixation of the contaminant elements. On the other hand, the crusts are capable of fixate efficiently these elements, specially the iron oxides, furthermore, they isolate the reactive minerals from the weathering agents. Consequently they limit the aquatic contamination, the dispersion area of the environmental impact and contribute to the chemical stabilization of the waste dum
