TY  - JOUR
AU  - Liu, Z.
AU  - Tan, K.
AU  - Li, C.
AU  - Li, Y.
AU  - Zhang, C.
AU  - Song, J.
AU  - Liu, L.
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Geochemical and S isotopic studies of pollutant evolution in groundwater after acid in situ leaching in a uranium mine area in Xinjiang
JO  - Nuclear Engineering and Technology
SP  - 1476
EP  - 1484
VL  - 55
IS  - 4
KW  - Acid in situ leaching of uranium
KW  - Pollution evolution
KW  - Sulfate elimination
KW  - Sulfur isotopes analysis
N2  - Laboratory experiments and point monitoring of reservoir sediments have proven that stable sulfate reduction (SSR) can lower the concentrations of toxic metals and sulfate in acidic groundwater for a long time. Here, we hypothesize that SSR occurred during in situ leaching after uranium mining, which can impact the fate of acid groundwater in an entire region. To test this, we applied a sulfur isotope fractionation method to analyze the mechanism for natural attenuation of contaminated groundwater produced by acid in situ leaching of uranium (Xinjiang, China). The results showed that δ34S increased over time after the cessation of uranium mining, and natural attenuation caused considerable, area-scale immobilization of sulfur corresponding to retention levels of 5.3%–48.3% while simultaneously decreasing the concentration of uranium. Isotopic evidence for SSR in the area, together with evidence for changes of pollutant concentrations, suggest that area-scale SSR is most likely also important at other acid mining sites for uranium, where retention of acid groundwater may be strengthened through natural attenuation. To recapitulate, the sulfur isotope fractionation method constitutes a relatively accurate tool for quantification of spatiotemporal trends for groundwater during migration and transformation resulting from acid in situ leaching of uranium in northern China.
SN  - 1738-5733
UR  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573322005769
N1  - exported from refbase (http://www.uhydro.de/base/show.php?record=192), last updated on Fri, 26 Jan 2024 13:19:04 +0100
ID  - Liu_etal2023
ER  -