Retention of Anionic Pollutants by Overburden Material at Chromite Mines: An Experimental Investigation

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Equeenuddin, Sk. Md. | Raymahashay, B.C.

Affiliations: Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur - 721302, India | 1Department of Civil Engineering, Engineering Geosciences Division Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur - 208016, India

Note: [] Corresponding Author. E-mail: md_equeen@yahoo.co.in

Abstract: The goethite-rich overburden material at chromite mines is an efficient sink for the chromate anion. Leaching experiments using a saline solution showed that the material at the Sukinda mine of Orissa had retained a higher amount of chromate compared with the material at the nearby Boula mine. This difference can be attributed to the mineralogy at the two sites. For example, the proportion of poorly crystalline goethite is higher in the Sukinda material compared with Boula. Experiments on further adsorption of arsenate and phosphate indicated that the Boula sample had higher uptake capacity for both anions. This is obviously because the Sukinda sample had initially adsorbed more chromate. These results can be useful in evaluating natural attenuation of fertilizer-derived pollutants in the agricultural land near chromite mines.

Keywords: Chromite mines, laterite overburden, mineralogy, pollutant retention

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 109-113, 2008