Leaching behavior of V, Pb, Cd, Cr, and As from stone coal waste rock with different particle sizes

This paper investigates the leaching behavior of heavy metals (V, Pb, Cd, Cr, and As) from stone coal waste rocks with various particle sizes using dynamic leaching experiments. The results show that the dissolved concentrations of V and As initially increased and then slightly decreased as time progressed and that the dissolved concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Cr were high in the early stage before decreasing. The particle size of the stone coal waste rocks strongly influenced the heavy metal concentration in the leaching solutions. The effects of the particle size of the stone coal waste rocks on the dissolved concentrations of V, Pb, and As decreased in the order fine fraction > medium fraction > coarse fraction, and the effects of particle size on the dissolved concentrations of Cr and Cd decreased in the order medium fraction > coarse fraction > fine fraction and coarse fraction > medium fraction > fine fraction, respectively. The quantities of heavy metals dissolved from the stone coal waste rock with fine particle sizes were observed to decrease in the order V (17104.36 μg/kg) > As (609.41 μg/kg) > Pb (469.24 μg/kg) > Cr (56.35 μg/kg) > Cd (27.52 μg/kg), and the dissolution rates decreased in the order As (2.96%) > Pb (0.93%) > V (0.35%) > Cd (0.25%) > Cr (0.01%). The specific surface area, pore size of the stone coal waste rocks, and chemical forms of heavy metals also influenced the release of heavy metals from the stone coal waste rocks. Kinetic analysis showed that the dissolution of heavy metals fundamentally agreed with the rate equation controlled by the shrinking core model. The results of this study are expected to serve as a reference for the evaluation of heavy metals contamination from stone coal waste rocks.