Toxic Metals in Mine Tailings Toxic Metals in Mine Tailings DustDust

Presented by: Paul RheinheimerPresented by: Paul Rheinheimer

Acknowledgements: NASA Space Grant ConsortiumAcknowledgements: NASA Space Grant Consortium

Susan BrewSusan Brew

Brian BarbarisBrian Barbaris

Brian Barbaris, Dr. Eric Betterton, Dr. William Brian Barbaris, Dr. Eric Betterton, Dr. William Conant, Janae Csavina Dr. Song Gao, Conant, Janae Csavina Dr. Song Gao, Shannon Reed, Paul Rheinheimer, Dr. Shannon Reed, Paul Rheinheimer, Dr. Eduardo Saez, and Anna Wonashutz, Eduardo Saez, and Anna Wonashutz,

Research Team Members

Health concerns: Health concerns: RespiratoryRespiratory

Metals: As, Cd, Pb, Metals: As, Cd, Pb, Cu, water soluble Cu, water soluble ions (Clions (Cl--, SO, SO44

--, , NaNa++, etc…), etc…)

Project Focus: Project Focus: Mine Tailings Mine Tailings DustDust

LocationsLocationsASARCO HaydenASARCO Hayden

Mine Tailings –Mine Tailings –coarse coarse particles particles

Active Smelter Active Smelter – fine – fine particlesparticles

LocationsLocationsIron KingIron King

Mine Tailings –Mine Tailings –coarse coarse particles particles

Micro-Orifice-Uniform-Micro-Orifice-Uniform-Deposit-Impactor (MOUDI)Deposit-Impactor (MOUDI)

10-stage 10-stage impaction platesimpaction plates

Vacuum pumpVacuum pump

Particle size Particle size captured ranges captured ranges from 1-18 from 1-18 micrometersmicrometers

Scanning Mobility Particle Scanner (SMPS), Scanning Mobility Particle Scanner (SMPS), Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Ion Chromatography (IC)(ICP-MS), and Ion Chromatography (IC)

SMPS gives # SMPS gives # concentrations of concentrations of particles sized from 0 to particles sized from 0 to 1 micrometer1 micrometer

ICP-MS measures heavy ICP-MS measures heavy metal concentrations metal concentrations from MOUDI filtersfrom MOUDI filters

IC measures water IC measures water soluble ions from MOUDI soluble ions from MOUDI filtersfilters

SMPS Data at ASARCO Hayden, plot of particle distribution.

(The measurements were made upwind of mine tailings and downwind of a slag heap)

Heavy metal concentrations at Iron King site.

Future Areas of Future Areas of ResearchResearch

Correlate data to Correlate data to wind speed and wind speed and directiondirection

Particle analysis Particle analysis by Scanning by Scanning Electron Electron MicroscopeMicroscope

As analysis by SEM

Wind rose of Iron King

End of presentation.End of presentation.

Thank you very much!Thank you very much!