Characterization of Rare Earth Elements in Didipio Cu-Au Deposit, Nueva Viscaya Philippines: Environmental Implications of Their Occurrences

Date of Award

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Environmental Science

First Advisor

Rene Juna R. Claveria, PhD

Abstract

This study characterizes the occurrence of rare earth elements (REEs) in some rock samples from Didipio Cu-Au alkaline hosted deposit using data provided by the ICP-OES/MS analysis, petrography, XRF and SEM-EDX analyses and assess their potential environmental impacts. No significant studies were done on the occurrence of REEs in Didipio Cu-Au deposit. Mining and processing of ores may open pathways for REEs to enter the ecosystem leading to negative impacts on wildlife, vegetation, and human health, in addition to their association with Th and U. The result of ANOVA exhibited that the mean intensities of total REEs found in the different minerals in the different rock samples exhibit significant differences, indicating that some specific minerals contain more of the total REEs than others. The XRF mapping of rock samples revealed that the LREEs are commonly associated with major elements such as quartz, calcite, orthoclase and plagioclase as well as alteration minerals related to mineralization such as illite, sericite (muscovite) and zeolites. The HREEs are more associated with Fe bearing minerals such as the clinopyroxene (diopside), biotite, chalcopyrite and magnetite and alteration minerals such as actinolite and chlorite. Higher amounts of Th and U are observed in Fe bearing silicates and carbonates than Fe bearing sulfides and oxides. Mine tailings contain more REEs than mine concentrates and their exposure to surface weathering in tailings pond could lead to REE solubility and mobility that may cause dispersion of REEs in the environment, ground and surface water contamination, possible formation of acid mine drainage.

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