Arsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorFey, Martin Ven_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLanyon, Ruthen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-10-18T11:30:29Z
dc.date.available2016-10-18T11:30:29Z
dc.date.issued1997en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: pages 123-137.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractArseniferous sulphide-hosted gold deposits associated with the Barberton greenstone belt, located in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, have been mined on various scales since late last century. The Barbrook mine is located close to the Swaziland border in an area of the Barberton mountainlands which forms part of the Kaap subcatchment of the Crocodile River. Scattered small communities depend on local streams and boreholes in the area for drinking and irrigation water. Hence, the prime motivation for this study was the potential risk to human health associated with enhanced As mobility as a result of the sulphide mineral weathering which accompanies gold mining and processing. Sampling of local waters, soils and sediments, as well as the ore and waste rock at Barbrook was undertaken during a week of fieldwork in August 1996. A range of chemical analyses were performed on the various samples, including As analysis by hydride generation-atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry. The Barbrook ore bodies are structurally controlled and hosted by banded iron formation, carbonaceous shales and carbonate-bearing schists. Within these ore bodies, As is mainly associated with auriferous arsenopyrite (FeAsS), although minor amounts also occur within pyrite (FeS₂) and ullmannite (NiSbS). Of the streams which flow through the mining lease, those at most risk of As contamination are Barbrook Creek, Low's Creek and Crystal Stream. Low's Creek flows through the main mine area, adjacent to the level 1O mine adit entrance, and past the processing plant before converging with Barbrook Creek. The latter receives water from the Shiyalongubo Dam which is the main water source for the area. Immediately downstream of the level 10 mine adit entrance, the steep eastern bank of Low's Creek is lined for several hundred metres with waste rock containing low grade ore. Tailings material from the processing plant is pumped to two tailings dams located about 5 km to the northwest of the plant and close to Crystal Stream.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationLanyon, R. (1997). <i>Arsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22169en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationLanyon, Ruth. <i>"Arsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22169en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLanyon, R. 1997. Arsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Lanyon, Ruth AB - Arseniferous sulphide-hosted gold deposits associated with the Barberton greenstone belt, located in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, have been mined on various scales since late last century. The Barbrook mine is located close to the Swaziland border in an area of the Barberton mountainlands which forms part of the Kaap subcatchment of the Crocodile River. Scattered small communities depend on local streams and boreholes in the area for drinking and irrigation water. Hence, the prime motivation for this study was the potential risk to human health associated with enhanced As mobility as a result of the sulphide mineral weathering which accompanies gold mining and processing. Sampling of local waters, soils and sediments, as well as the ore and waste rock at Barbrook was undertaken during a week of fieldwork in August 1996. A range of chemical analyses were performed on the various samples, including As analysis by hydride generation-atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry. The Barbrook ore bodies are structurally controlled and hosted by banded iron formation, carbonaceous shales and carbonate-bearing schists. Within these ore bodies, As is mainly associated with auriferous arsenopyrite (FeAsS), although minor amounts also occur within pyrite (FeS₂) and ullmannite (NiSbS). Of the streams which flow through the mining lease, those at most risk of As contamination are Barbrook Creek, Low's Creek and Crystal Stream. Low's Creek flows through the main mine area, adjacent to the level 1O mine adit entrance, and past the processing plant before converging with Barbrook Creek. The latter receives water from the Shiyalongubo Dam which is the main water source for the area. Immediately downstream of the level 10 mine adit entrance, the steep eastern bank of Low's Creek is lined for several hundred metres with waste rock containing low grade ore. Tailings material from the processing plant is pumped to two tailings dams located about 5 km to the northwest of the plant and close to Crystal Stream. DA - 1997 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1997 T1 - Arsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa TI - Arsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22169 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/22169
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationLanyon R. Arsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences, 1997 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22169en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Geological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherEnvironmental Geochemistryen_ZA
dc.titleArsenic dispersion associated with the Barbrook gold mine in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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