title: Trace metals associated with deep-sea tailings placement at the Batu Hijau copper-gold mine, Sumbawa, Indonesia.
abstract: The Batu Hijau copper-gold mine on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia operates a deep-sea tailings placement (DSTP) facility to dispose of the tailings within the offshore Senunu Canyon. The concentrations of trace metals in tailings, waters, and sediments from locations in the vicinity of the DSTP were determined during surveys in 2004 and 2009. In coastal and deep seawater samples from Alas Strait and the South Coast of Sumbawa, the dissolved concentrations of Ag, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb and Zn were in the sub μg/L range. Dissolved copper concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 0.65 μg/L for all depths at these sites. Dissolved copper concentrations were the highest in the bottom-water from within the tailings plume inside Senunu Canyon, with up to 6.5 μg Cu/L measured in close proximity to the tailings discharge. In general, the concentrations of dissolved and particulate metals were similar in 2004 and 2009.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, CSIRO Land and Water, Locked Mailbag 2007, Kirrawee, NSW 2232, Australia. brad.angel@csiro.au
authors.forename: Brad M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.forename: Stuart L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Chad V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Jarolimek
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jorina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waworuntu
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Batterham
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006046:Gold; D007214:Indonesia; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D008906:Mining; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D006046:Gold; D003300:Copper
keywords: Arsenic; Copper; Deep sea tailings placement; Mercury