Passivation of heavy metals in copper-nickel tailings by in-situ bio-mineralization: A pilot trial and mechanistic analysis

Metal tailings contain a variety of toxic heavy metals and have potential environmental risks owing to long-term open piling. In the present study, a strain of ureolytic bacteria with bio-mineralization ability, Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain Lf, was isolated from copper-nickel mine tailings in Xinjiang and applied to a pilot trial of tailings solidification under field conditions. The results of the pilot trial (0.5 m(3) in scale) showed that strain Lf effectively solidified the tailings. The compressive strength of the solidified tailings increased by 121 +/- 9% and the permeability coefficient decreased by 68 +/- 3 %. Compared to the control, the leaching reduction of the solidified tailings of Cu and Ni was >98 %, and that of As was 92.5 +/- 1.7 %. Two mechanisms of tailings solidification and heavy metal passivation were proposed based on the findings of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping. Biogenic calcite filled the interstices of the tailings particles and cemented the adjacent particles. This improved the mechanical properties and reduced permeability. Moreover, heavy metal colloids were incorporated into large-sized calcite crystals, and heavy metal ions were sequestered within the calcite lattice. This method of using indigenous ureolytic bacteria to solidify tailings was successful in this work and may be replicated to remediate other tailings.

Automated summary

In this study, ureolytic bacteria strain Lysinibacillus fusiformis Lf was utilized to solidify metal tailings by filling the interstices of tailings particles and cementing the adjacent particles, thereby improving the mechanical properties and reducing permeability. The method effectively reduced leaching of heavy metals and showed potential for remediation of other tailings.