title: Weathering of primary minerals and mobility of major elements in soils affected by an accidental spill of pyrite tailing.
abstract: In the present work, soil profiles were sampled 40 days and three years after an accidental pyrite tailing spill from the Aznalcóllar mine (S Spain) in order to figure out the effects of the acidic solution draining from the tailing. The composition of the acidic solution, the mineralogy, and the total and soluble content of the major elements were analysed at varying depths. The results show a weathering process of carbonates and of primary silicates. Calcium released is leached or reacts with the sulphate ions to form gypsum. Magnesium, aluminium and potassium tend to leach from the uppermost millimetres of the soil, accumulating where the pH>/=5.0; also the iron, probably forming more or less complex hydroxysulphates, precipitate in the upper 5 cm. The strong releasing of soluble salts increases the electrical conductivity, while the soluble potassium tends to decrease in the uppermost part of the soil due to the neoformation of jarosite. Iron is soluble only where the pH</=2.3, and aluminium where the pH</=5.5.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Edafología y Química Agrícola. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Campus Fuentenueva s/n, 18002, Granada, Spain. fjmartin@ugr.es
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simón
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dorronsoro
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iriarte
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguilar
mesh_terms: D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000032:analysis; D002133:Calcium Sulfate / Q000032:analysis; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007501:Iron; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D013030:Spain; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis; D013440:Sulfides
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D008670:Metals; D012987:Soil; D013431:Sulfates; D013440:Sulfides; C011342:pyrite; D007501:Iron; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D002133:Calcium Sulfate