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,. <br />w <br />y <br />P• ~:, <br />.~ <br />cm <br />. A Ww ~7im Cemr~doa ?eehaique to Prs-rlde Rapid Atananeat K Talllo~ V L. <br />the held noel the LbaaOay ~ <br />RoaaW V. NiehoLmaa, I?b laberl4eg' anti Gary tYilliama' ~ ..'~,~ - 6 ~ <br />~: The rue of tnlphids arinaal o~ddatioa is tarlinp is affected by tdtemit~l ; - -- <br />surface noel the trantifes of oxygen from the atmosphere loon the tailings. Whsa sulphide mineral tsntro <br />b she only oxygen ooarkmsiot material preeeat, the tone of oxidation whhin the ta7iap c>m be esiimated <br />by meaanriog the t]tot o[ oxy;ea through the taUinp sttrfaee. A techmgtaa has been dweloped to measure <br />oxygen osmsumptioa u the sttr6ce. The method iavolva itssettion o[ a 20 txn diameoet thlo-sralled <br />alumimtm lobe iaao the tales, placement of a eP a temporally seal the hoed spas httm the <br />atmosphere anti meuoremeot o[ the oxy`en canoeaaation in tLe ail volume above the tailloga aver a one <br />m two hots period. The observed rata of oxygen depletion is used m niculaae the oxygen 9wr through <br />the nt7iogs sarfaca Laboramrp and field measurements of oxygen consnmptioa agree well with ardatioa <br />rate estimated Isom salphtwe nleae rams. This method provide a simple and rapid meaatremmt <br />terhaique that eau bs used m monitor tailings oxidation s~ idemHy relative 'Lot-spots' that may require <br />immediate iaterveation m testuee loadings [tom acidic drainage. The method tan also be applied m the <br />avalnation of noncxygea-cvosnming coverer by comparing pro- and poso-ootuavctioa oxidubn tens <br />across the taa7ings. <br />ICey Words; Tailings, Sulphide Oxidation, Measurenoeats, Feld rues <br />'Ihe most common mahod of evaluating tLe efFceta of sulphide oxidation in talings has Gem m <br />Dolled and aaalyu water sataplea from wells below the water table and squeezed solid samples above <br />the water table (I, 2, 3, among othexs). The water cberniatry, sometimes in combinatloa wadi solids <br />malysis, is used to infer the acid generation history of the tailings. Many yearn of tiara collection may <br />be required m estimate the run of oxldetioa or acid geaeratioa beeauae of the interaction of complex <br />c5eaaieal reaaiom and non-study hydrologic taatuport of dissolved spode. h is also difficult t0 tvahtate <br />short-term varistioas 6a die rue of oxidation becwse of expected nantral variations. This u espedally <br />tsidtai for reLabiliation asxivides mch as coasttuaion of a cover that may require a number of yeas of <br />monitoring m determine the degree of improvement provided by the Dover. There is a need for <br />mrisnremeats that provide more immediate itdication of acid generation rata in order m assess ~c <br />etfetta of rehabilitsrion activities fo the sLortierm fp addition to current long-term monitoring practice. <br />Previow attempt m measure iaataataoaaus axidatioa rates in the field were described by David <br />(4), Elberling a al. GSj anti David and Nicholson (~. David (4) and David a>b Nicholson (~ estimamd <br />the Environment, Sudbury, Oanrlo, May <br />tdwater Research, University of Waterloo, <br />qt), Aarhw C., Deomazk <br />Faith Services, fill Chucchilt Street, l)nii 21, Wuerlao, Oanrlo N1L 2X2 <br />999 <br />