Capturing the evolution of Western Australian mine pit lakes
Sampling from sites across WA provides new insight into the post-mining evolution of pit lake waters
Real-world geochemical data from representative WA mine pit lakes and pit void lithologies shows mine pit lake waters continue to evolve for many years after mine closure, posing a significant challenge to the regulation and management of mining legacy sites.
The results of this study indicate the primary control on pit lake water is groundwater quality, particularly in regards to major ion content, pH, and water salinity.
pH represents a significant influence on metal solubility in lake waters, with mine pit lakes in some sites reaching concentrations compatible with in-situ metal recovery.
To learn more about Project Number M0478, click here.
Read MRIWA report 478 https://mriwa.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/FinalReports/EVginKAVks1GmY2ERmoWf3UBqicujqQYrZViGxHH859hrQ?e=xLrcv2 summarising the findings of this research
To access the Media release > M0478-Mine Pit Lakes Press Release
Page was last reviewed 2 November 2022