The colloid chemistry of acid rock drainage solution from an abandoned Zn–Pb–Ag mine

Acid rock drainage (ARD) solution from an abandoned ore mine (pH 2.7, SO2−4 concentration 411 mmol/l, Fe concentration 93.5 mmol/l) was investigated by photon correlation spectroscopy, centrifugation, filtration, ultrafiltration, scanning electron microscopy, ICP–MS, AAS, ion chromatography, TOC analysis, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. A colloid concentration of ⩾1 g/l was found. The prevailing particle size was <5 nm. Iron, As and Pb were the metal constituents of the colloidal particles. The most probable mineralogical composition of the particles is a mixture of hydronium jarosite and schwertmannite. A small amount of a relatively coarse precipitate was formed in the ARD solution during the months after sampling. The colloid particles are obviously an intermediate in the precipitate formation process. The results suggest that the arsenate is bound to the colloids by the formation of a bidentate binuclear inner-sphere surface complex. However, the transformation of the colloidal material to the more aggregated long-term precipitate results in the incorporation of the arsenate into the interior of the Fe hydroxy sulfate crystal structures. Lead seems to occur as anglesite.