Antimony and arsenic mobility in a creek draining an antimony mine abandoned 85 years ago (upper Orb basin, France)

Mining residues from the Sb mine of Bournac in the upper Orb River valley (Southern France), constitute an important source of As and Sb pollution. Arsenic concentrations are as high as 78 μg/L and Sb reaches 32 μg/L in the small creek draining the tailings impoundment. Although both metalloids occur mainly in oxidized form in the creek water, their behaviour differs significantly. Iron oxides are the main carrier phases for both elements in the suspended particulate matter. In oxic conditions the two elements are mainly present in water in oxidised form As(V) and Sb(V) and both field studies and laboratory experiments indicate a higher affinity of As(V) than Sb(V) for the solid phase. In the pool, which receives the water from Bournac Creek, the reductive dissolution of Fe-oxides is linked to the oxidation of small pyrite grains transported from the tailings dump. In oxic conditions Sb is released to solution more efficiently than As. Conversely, in anoxic conditions, mobilisation of As is greater than that of Sb. This is attributed to the reduction of As, which favours its mobility. Whatever the conditions, the activity of bacteria naturally present in the sediments enhances the remobilization of Sb in oxidizing conditions and that of As in reducing conditions.