Abstract
The accumulation of gold mine tailings (GMT) and polyethylene terephthalate plastic waste (PW) continue to impact the ecosystem negatively, and strategies are required to counteract these issues to maintain a sustainable environment. This study investigated the use of PW as a binder to mobilize heavy metals in GMT. Plastic was used as a binder to develop specimens. were developed using plastic as a binder, the geotechnical and geochemical properties of the specimens were studied. The leachability of heavy metals from developed specimens was also studied. GMT and PW ratios of 80:20; 70:30, and 60:40 were investigated. The mineralogy and elemental composition of GMT and developed specimens showed that was quartz and silicon oxide were the predominant constituent in the materials. The specimen with the highest unconfined compressive strength yielded the lowest water absorption. The concentration of heavy metals in the PW-based specimens was lower than in the raw GMT. Waste plastic can be used as a sustainable binder to mobilize contaminants in GMT. The proposed solution can solve and prevent environmental pollution caused by GMT and WP.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 012008 |
| Journal | IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science |
| Volume | 1009 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 7 Apr 2022 |
| Event | 2021 9th International Conference on Environment Pollution and Prevention, ICEPP 2021 - Virtual, Online Duration: 19 Nov 2021 → 21 Nov 2021 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Environmental Science
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
