RELATIONSHIP OF COPPER, ZINC, SELENIUM, BARIUM, MERCURY, SILVER AND GOLD CORRELATIONS WITH MINERAL COMPOSITION OF A MATERIAL IN URSK TAILINGS PIT DESPERATION TRAIN (RUSSIA, KEMEROVO REGION)
Ursk tailings pit (Kemerovo region, Russia), mined for more than 80 years ago, was formed from cyaniding high-sulfide wastes and their gold-bearing weathering profile. The wastes are transported from dumps in wetland peat ravine located below in the direction wastes drifting. Also an acid mine drainage solutions formed by sulfide wastes oxidation affect to peat wetland ravine. The contents of elements in material of desperation train are highly variable and dominate in the peat: Cu (from 13 up to 15820 g/t), Zn (50 - 41300 g/t), Se (20 - 6060 g/t), Ag (0,1 - 560 g/t), Ba (0,1 - 20 %), Hg (2,3 - 11730 g/t), Au (0,1 - 155 g/t). Accumulation of Cu, Zn, Se, Ba, Hg and precious metals takes place in peat matter of the desperation train. It was observed the correlation between the two sets of elements Zn-Cu-Fe-Pb-Hg-Sb-Ag-Te-Se and Ba-Sr in the material of the transported wastes. It is due to the original mineral composition of the wastes in the first group - the association of pyrite (FeS<sub>2</sub>) with altaite (PbTe), geffroyite (Ag,Cu,Fe)<sub>9</sub>(Se,S)<sub>8</sub>, bornite (Cu<sub>5</sub>FeS<sub>4</sub>), tennantite (Cu<sub>3</sub>AsS<sub>3</sub>), galena (PbS), chalcopyrite (CuFeS<sub>2</sub>), telluride of Hg and Ag, jarosite (KFe<sub>3</sub>(OH)<sub>6</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>) etc., in the second - impurity Sr in barite (BaSO<sub>4</sub>). In the peat contacting with shed wastes groups of the elements related to correlation dependence are the same as in wastes, but the composition of minerals characterized by the elements of the first group is very different. New formed minerals are found in peat - pyrite, hydroxide of Fe and sulfates of Zn and Cu mixtures, Hg selenide (HgSe tiemmanite), Hg sulfides with Se, Ag, Zn и Cu impurities. Barite with Sr impurity is also formed in peat. The positive correlation of Au with Se and Hg is in the wastes; with Ag - in the peat. Native gold is present both in the wastes as inclusions in pyrite and in the peat as "new".