title: Red mud as a carbon sink: variability, affecting factors and environmental significance.
abstract: The capacity of red mud to sequester CO(2) varied markedly due to differences in bauxite type, processing and disposal methods. Calcium carbonates were the dominant mineral phases responsible for the carbon sequestration in the investigated red mud types. The carbon sequestration capacity of red mud was not fully exploited due to shortages of soluble divalent cations for formation of stable carbonate minerals. Titanate and silicate ions were the two major oxyanions that appeared to strongly compete with carbonate ions for the available soluble Ca. Supply of additional soluble Ca and Mg could be a viable pathway for maximizing carbon sequestration in red mud and simultaneously reducing the causticity of red mud. It is roughly estimated that over 100 million tonnes of CO(2) have been unintentionally sequestered in red mud around the world to date through the natural weathering of historically produced red mud. Based on the current production rate of red mud, it is likely that some 6 million tonnes of CO(2) will be sequestered annually through atmospheric carbonation. If appropriate technologies are in place for incorporating binding cations into red mud, approximately 6 million tonnes of additional CO(2) can be captured and stored in the red mud while the hazardousness of red mud is simultaneously reduced.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecological and Environmental Technologies, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: Yingqun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chuxia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D007220:Industrial Waste; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000537:Aluminum Oxide