Numerical models for the assessment of possible groundwater contamination during the utilization of waste from the mining and processing industry

A specific type of landfill, a tailings dam (or pond), is typically an earth-fill embankment dam used to store the byproducts of mining operations after the ore has been separated from the gangue. The primary threat posed by a tailings pond is the potential for leachate generated by the slurry to penetrate the soil and contaminate the aquifer. Based on the results of 1D and 3D model studies, a long-term forecast was made for the possible impact or contamination with arsenic and sulfate ions of the groundwater and surface water from the tailings pond and the contact pond under the extreme hypothesis that some of the engineering barriers do not fulfill their protective functions. On this basis, the general conclusion on the risk of water and soil pollution during operation and after the closure of the two facilities was formulated.