An Empirical Comparison of Humidity Cell and Field Barrel Data to Inform Scale-Up Factors for Water Quality Predictions

摘要

One of the biggest challenges for geochemists is the ability to confidently predict contact water quality associated with mine wastes. Uncertainties inherent in these predictions get proliferated through impact assessments, engineering evaluations and permitting that in part rely on these predictions. One of the greatest uncertainties is with the application of lab-based kinetic data and the process of scaling up assumptions applied to this type of data to predict contact water chemistry associated with larger mine waste management facilities. This paper presents results of samples from a proposed gold porphyry project subjected to both humidity cell testwork and field barrel trials. Similarities and differences in data are discussed and the scaling of humidity cell release rates to predict field barrel leachate provides an informative calibration of scaling factors on a relatively small scale with implications for further scale up for management facilities.