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Tracing Copper Migration in the Tongling Area through Copper Isotope Values in Soils and Waters

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  • Jingwen Su

    (Chinese Geological Survey, Nanjing Center, Nanjing 210016, China)

  • Ryan Mathur

    (Geology Department, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USA)

  • Glen Brumm

    (Geology Department, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USA)

  • Peter D’Amico

    (Geology Department, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USA)

  • Linda Godfrey

    (Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA)

  • Joaquin Ruiz

    (Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA)

  • Shiming Song

    (Chinese Geological Survey, Nanjing Center, Nanjing 210016, China)

Abstract

Copper mining in Tongling has occurred since the Bronze Age, and this area is known as one of the first historic places where copper has been, and is currently, extracted. Multiple studies have demonstrated, through concentrated work on soils and waters, the impact of mining in the area. Here we present copper isotope values of 13 ore samples, three tailing samples, 20 water samples (surface and groundwater), and 94 soil samples (15 different profiles ranging in depth from 0–2 m) from proximal to distal (up to 10 km) locations radiating from a tailings dam and tailings pile. Oxidation of the copper sulfide minerals results in isotopically heavier oxidized copper. Thus, copper sourced from sulfide minerals has been used to trace copper in mining and environmental applications. At Tongling, higher copper isotope values (greater than 1 per mil, which are interpreted to be derived from copper sulfide weathering) are found both in waters and the upper portions of soils (5–100 cm) within 1 km of the source tailings. At greater than 1 km, the soils do not possess heavier copper isotope values; however, the stream water samples that have low copper concentrations have heavier values up to 6.5 km from the source. The data suggest that copper derived from the mining activities remains relatively proximal in the soils but can be traced in the waters at greater distances.

Suggested Citation

  • Jingwen Su & Ryan Mathur & Glen Brumm & Peter D’Amico & Linda Godfrey & Joaquin Ruiz & Shiming Song, 2018. "Tracing Copper Migration in the Tongling Area through Copper Isotope Values in Soils and Waters," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:12:p:2661-:d:185787
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ziwei Ding & Yang Li & Qingye Sun & Haojie Zhang, 2018. "Trace Elements in Soils and Selected Agricultural Plants in the Tongling Mining Area of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-12, January.
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