Thallium Long-Term Fate from Rock-Deposit to Soil: The Jas Roux Sulfosalt Natural Analogue
Résumé
Inorganic contaminant release resulting from
mining activities can impact surrounding ecosystems. Ores formed
by primary sulfide minerals produce sulfuric acid after mineral
oxidation, which is the driving force of metal release. Yet secondary
metal sulfates may form and play a crucial role in controlling the
metal fate. In the case of thallium (Tl), it has been shown that in
natural Tl-rich sulfide deposits and those found in mining areas, Tl
can be trapped by Tl-jarosite (Tl-rich iron sulfate) and
dorallcharite (TlFe3(SO4)2(OH)6). Our Tl speciation characterization
results have generated novel insight into the long-term
behavior of this metal derived from a unique natural hotspot: the
Jas Roux site (France). The biogeochemical cycle of the soil
ecosystems of Jas Roux dates back almost 15000 years ago and has now reached a steady state. A chemical gradient was found in
soils across the toposequence underlying the Jas Roux outcrop. X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that Tl was mainly present in
secondary minerals at the top of the studied zone. Oxidative dissolution of Tl-rich sulfide minerals and pyrite accounts for the
presence of Tl-jarosite in soils, either by direct formation in soils or by gravity erosion from the outcrop. The Tl-jarosite quantity was
found to decrease from the top to the bottom of the toposequence, probably due to sulfate leaching. Released Tl likely adsorbed on
phyllosilicates such as Illite or muscovite, and a fraction of Tl was found to have oxidized into Tl(III) along the toposequence.
Domaines
Sciences de l'environnementOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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