Mine waters from Mining and Smelting Basin Bor: A resource for the recovery of copper or polluter of the environment

Abstract

Long-term exploitation and copper ore processing in Bor has led to degradation wide areas of land by depositing huge amounts of mining waste and the appearance of mine wastewaters in them. Mine waters are the result of spontaneous leaching process of mining waste and take the form of excess water collection and natural resources. Within the active and abandoned copper mines in Bor, great quantity of mine waters has been produced, similar in composition, but different in concentration of heavy metals, with different flow and potential on copper as a possible useful product and now as a pollutant of surface water flows. There are nine sources of mine waters in Mining Basin Bor whose potential on copper varies between 350 and 420 tones per year. So far, only a small amount of copper from mine waters is being recovered (~17% Cu) while the remaining part is lost flowing into the Krivelj River, and further to the Timok and Danube. By collecting the mine wastewaters from the individual sources and their treatment in order to extract copper may decrease or completely eliminate current surface waters contamination. The mine wastewaters is going to have a longer existence then mining activities, so it of the greatest importance to approach to solve this, for Mining Basin in Bor, significant problem. Produced copper and purified water could make the water treatment economically acceptable.