Geochemical Characteristics of Tailings from Typical Metal Mining Areas in Tibet Autonomous Region

Abstract

With the exploring and developing of mineral resources in the Tibet Autonomous Region for many years, a large number of tailings have been produced. A total of 17 tailings samples from borehole cores were collected from different tailings ponds in different regions of Tibet. The results showed that the mineral composition and content of tailings in each research area were different. Among them, quartz was the most abundant mineral in most tailings. The major elements of tailings mainly included Si, Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca, Na, K and so on. S existed in different types of tailings. In the analysis of trace element composition, it was found that the content of some elements had approached the lowest industrial grade, which has potential recycling value, such as Mn, Zn, Pb and P. Through the detection of radioactive elements (Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40), it was shown that there were great differences among different types of tailings, and their different contents would bring potential hazards to the safety of the surrounding environment and human health. Similar results were found in the analysis of particle size characteristics of tailings. These results are of great significance for the future utilization and resource utilization of tailings pond.