CMMMech
CMMMech > Secondary resource > Chrysotile asbestos tailings

Chrysotile asbestos tailings secondary resource

Residues from processing chrysotile-bearing ore for asbestos production, represented here by the Clinton Creek mill tailings in Yukon, Canada. These heterogeneous, magnesium-rich residues contain fibrous chrysotile, serpentinite and other phases, including weathering carbonates. They are distinct from a pure chrysotile mineral specimen, unprocessed serpentinite, mine waste rock and other ultramafic tailings streams. No criticality designation is inherited from magnesium or other constituents.

Microbial & Biochemical Mechanisms (1)

Acidophile-assisted magnesium leaching from Clinton Creek tailings

bioleaching Microbial

Colonized sulfur or pyrite supplied acidity that increased magnesium release from tailings in laboratory columns. The cultures were reported as Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans from Wits Basin and an A. ferrooxidans enrichment from Kam Kotia tailings; strain authentication was not provided. Acid generation supports an indirect leaching mechanism, without proving direct microbial attack on a particular Mg-bearing phase.

Experimental Context & Analytical Limits:
Clinton Creek tailings collected below the surface with minimal visible carbonate crust were sieved below 2.36 mm. Phase 1 used 10 g substrate in 10 mL syringe columns, 4-12 wt% ground pyrite or 2.1-6.4 wt% sulfur, and 2 mL basal salts per week for one month. Corresponding abiotic additive arms and no-additive controls were included. Ground serpentinite and acetic-acid-washed tailings were separate comparison substrates; the acid wash could also alter silicate reactivity. Enrichments were cultured near 21 degrees C, but column temperature was not explicitly stated. Phase 2 used colonized sulfur or Kam Kotia Cu-Zn sulfidic tailings above 10 g tailings, with 1 mL weekly basal salts for one year and duplicate no-additive controls. Leachates were filtered at 0.45 micrometres and analyzed by ICP-AES. These are laboratory dissolution experiments, not demonstrated industrial recovery or net carbon removal.
Curated Evidence Points:
Figure 1 and Phase 1 results show higher magnesium release with colonized additives than corresponding abiotic arms. Phase 2 Figure 2 shows sustained enhancement relative to no-additive controls. The article's pH-dependent model is consistent with acid-mediated dissolution; it does not establish an additional biological effect at matched acidity.
Methods S2-S5 identify culture provenance, washed inocula and filtered-leachate analysis. Table S3 gives 317 mg Mg released by the one-year 8.5 wt% sulfur column versus 13.7 mg for the mean no-additive control. Its 14.3% denominator is total Mg inferred from 10 g feed at 36.7 wt% MgO, not isolated product recovery.
Existing carbonates contribute to Mg release and may lose stored carbon during leaching. Phase 2 lacks matched abiotic additive columns; main Methods lists 12.5% for the highest sulfur loading while Figure 2, results and SI Table S3 use 10.5%. Sulfidic-tailings arms produced episodic metal pulses and the 30% arm showed declining pH and increasing metals. The proposed facility in Figure 3 and scaled carbon-sequestration estimates are scenarios, not deployment or measured net carbon storage. Asbestos detoxification was not established.

Sources & References

  1. power2010: Power, Dipple and Southam (2010; online 2009-12-01). Bioleaching of Ultramafic Tailings by Acidithiobacillus spp. for CO2 Sequestration. Environmental Science and Technology 44:456-462. DOI 10.1021/es900986n; Experimental Section, Results and Discussion, Figures 1-3. Full seven-page article inspected via author-hosted copy.
    https://doi.org/10.1021/es900986n (accessed 2026-10-11)
  2. power2010_author_copy: PowerGeolab author-hosted full copy of Power et al. (2010), Environmental Science and Technology 44:456-462; same publication, not an independent experiment.
    https://powergeolab.com/s/Power-et-al-2010-Environ-Sci-Technol-f4jx.pdf (accessed 2026-10-11)
  3. power2010_si: Power et al. Supporting Information, DOI 10.1021/es900986n.s001. ACS Figshare article 2802688; es900986n_si_001.pdf, 19 pages, Methods pages S2-S6, Tables S2-S5 and Figures S1-S7.
    https://doi.org/10.1021/es900986n.s001 (accessed 2026-10-11)
  4. yukon2009: AECOM for Government of Yukon (July 2009; final revision July 29). Former Clinton Creek Asbestos Mine: Overview Report. Sections 2.2, 3.1 and 3.3, printed pages 3, 5-7: mill-tailings origin distinguished from waste-rock dumps.
    https://emrlibrary.gov.yk.ca/aam/former-clinton-creek-asbestos-mine-overview-report-2009.pdf (accessed 2026-10-11)

Curation History

Timestamp Curator Action Summary
2026-10-11T11:42:25.168873+00:00 Codex (GPT-6; Codex) CREATE Created a mill-tailings resource record with primary main-text and supplementary evidence for laboratory magnesium leaching and explicit phase, control, carbon and hazard limitations.

Record source: data/records/chrysotile-asbestos-tailings.yaml