Project of green recycling and disposal of spent copper heaps in a closed ecosystem

Abstract

The article presents the results of an environmental experiment conducted under the green utilisation project for mining waste from hydrometallurgical copper production. The primary objective of this project was to investigate the feasibility of safely conserving spent copper ore through the creation of soil and vegetation layers. The ore, after sulfuric acid leaching using iron-oxidising bacteria, which contributed to increased copper recovery and reduced sulfuric acid consumption, was used as the object of research. When more than 80% of copper was extracted from the ore, and the pH of the wastewater was subsequently increased from 2.0 to 4.0, a soil layer was applied to the surface of the mineral raw materials, and seeds of acidophilic herbs were planted. Subsequent observations of the plants over several months revealed their stable growth, the formation of a root system in the soil layer, and the capture of part of the ore dump layer. Additionally, there was a gradual decrease in wastewater acidity to a pH range of 6.0-6.5.