HudBay Minerals (formerly the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Limited) has operated a Zn and Cu processing facility in Flin Flon, MB since the 1930’s. Located in the Boreal Shield, the area surrounding the mine complex has been severely impacted by both natural (forest fires) and the anthropogenic disturbance, which has adversely affected recovery of the local forest ecosystem. Zinc is one of the most prevalent smelter-derived metals in the soils and has been identified as a key factor limiting natural revegetation of the landscape. Because metal toxicity is related more to speciation than to total concentration, Zn speciation in soils from the impacted landscape was characterized using X-ray absorption fine structure, X-ray fluorescence mapping and µ-X-ray absorption near edge structure. Beginning with speciation at a micro-scale and transitioning to bulk speciation was able to determine Zn speciation and link it to two distinct landform characteristics: (1) soils stabilized by metal tolerant grass species—in which secondary adsorption species of Zn (i.e., sorbed to Mn and Si oxides, and as outer-sphere adsorbed Zn) were found to be more abundant; and (2) eroded, sparsely vegetated soils in mid to upper slope positions that were dominated almost entirely by smelter derived Zn minerals, specifically Franklinite (ZnFe2O4).
The long-term effect of liming on pH and Zn speciation was examined using field sites limed by a community led organization over a ten year period. Upon liming to a pH of 4 to 4.5, the eroded, sparsely vegetated soils where found to form a Zn-Al-Hydroxy Interlayer Material (HIM) co-precipitate, reducing the phytotoxicity of both Zn and Al and allowed for boreal forest vegetation to recovery quickly in these areas. The grass stabilized soils experienced a steady pH increase, as compared to a sporadic pH increase in the heavily eroded soils, as the buffering capacity was overcome allowing for a transition between multiple adsorption species based upon the point of zero charge of reactive soil elements. Ultimately reaching a near neutral pH after ten years, this allowed for the formation of stable Zn-Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) soil precipitates and significantly reduced concentrations of plant available Zn.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:USASK/oai:ecommons.usask.ca:10388/ETD-2013-12-1386 |
| Date | 2013 December 1900 |
| Contributors | Peak, Derek, Farrell, Richard |
| Source Sets | University of Saskatchewan Library |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, thesis |
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