Kolloidgetragene Schwermetalle im Entwässerungsstollen einer stillgelegten Zn-Pb-Ag Grube

Colloid-borne Heavy Metals in the Drainage Gallery of an Abandoned Zn-Pb-Ag Mine (in German). The colloid inventories and the colloid-borne heavy metals in the Rothschönberger Stolln adit, the main drainage gallery of the Freiberg, Germany, mining district, were investigated. This adit runs from Freiberg to the village of Rothschönberg, where it flows into the river Triebisch, a tributary of the river Elbe. The water of the adit is a typical mine water from a flooded ore mine. The main reason for choosing the Rothschönberger Stolln adit for colloid investigations was that ample knowledge concerning the origin of the water and the geology of its catchment area exists. The aim was to characterize the colloids at the mouth of the adit and to elucidate if important contaminants occur in a colloid-borne form. A colloid concentration of about 1 mg/L was found. The particles have a size of 50 to 150 nm. They primarily consist of iron and aluminum oxyhydroxide and carry trace elements such as Pb, As, Cu, Y, La. The contaminants Pb and As are almost entirely colloid-borne. Colloids can have both a retarding and a stimulating influence on the transport of contaminants. The existence of colloids should be taken into account if mine waters flow to the biosphere or if mine waters are to be purified by permeable reactive barriers.