Jm. Azcue et al., EFFECTS OF ABANDONED GOLD MINE TAILINGS ON THE ARSENIC CONCENTRATIONSIN WATER AND SEDIMENTS OF JACK OF CLUBS LAKE, BC, Environmental technology, 15(7), 1994, pp. 669-678
From 1933 to 1964 gold was extracted by underground mining at the nort
heast shore of Jack of Clubs Lake. At present, tailings and waste rock
4.5 m thick covers approximately 25 hectares of land adjacent to the
lake. Arsenic concentrations (>2,000 mug.g-1) were found in the tailin
g materials. Two simultaneous processes are controlling the elevated A
s concentrations in the lake sediments (up to 1,104 mug.g-1), depositi
on of suspended particles enriched with As and subsequent diagenetic c
ycling of sedimentary As. Arsenic concentrations (as high as 556 mu.L-
1) in water samples adjacent to the tailings indicate mobilization of
As. However, dissolved As is readily scavenged or coprecipitated with
iron hydroxides. The greatest proportion of As in the sediment cores i
s associated with iron oxides and sulphides. Under oxic conditions the
high concentrations of Fe in the tailings is actually beneficial and
very effective at limiting the migration of undesirable elements.