How to achieve success beyond compliance in mining wastewater monitoring
Mining is the source of many materials that are key to the transition to cleaner energy, such as aluminum, cobalt, and nickel. For this transition to be truly sustainable, however, the environmental impacts of mining also need to be minimized. Monitoring the composition of wastewater is a crucial part of achieving this objective.
On-line analysis, which allows wastewater to be screened rapidly without leaving the process line, is a powerful solution for monitoring wastewater and improving mining sustainability. Read on to find out how this analysis works and how it improves on the analytical capabilities of previous methods.
Why mining wastewater screening matters
The risks have been understood for generations: if left unmanaged, toxic elements from mining waste can leach into the soil or waterways. The resulting impacts on the environment and human health can be severe. As a result, the mining industry is well-practiced in wastewater management.
Nonetheless, both governmental and non-governmental organizations are increasing the pressure on the industry to adopt more sustainable practices. To comply with increasingly tight legislation, mining companies are moving away from traditional means of screening waste toward faster real-time monitoring methods.
Why traditional screening methods aren’t enough
Traditionally, many mining processing plants have relied on elemental analysis methods like inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis or calorimetry to monitor wastewater composition. While these techniques are well-established, they have drawbacks that limit the ability to comply with increasingly tight wastewater screening legislation.
With ICP, for example, a sample is taken from the process line and melted with acids such as hydrofluoric acid, stripping the ions from the atoms in the sample. The ICP instrument can then identify the elements to a high degree of accuracy.
However, ICP sample preparation can take several days, requires a highly skilled operator due to the use of hazardous acids, and destroys the sample in the process – so measurements on a sample can’t then be validated using a different instrument.
Mine operators are therefore looking for analytical solutions that can provide the speed, operational safety, and confidence in results needed to comply in a fast-changing legislative landscape.
The basis for fast, real-time analysis: X-ray fluorescence
To make on-line, real-time analysis possible, you must begin with a technique that inherently provides fast, accurate, and non-destructive analysis. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is one such technique.
In XRF, radioactive beams are projected onto a sample and excite the electrons around atoms. This excitavtion creates fluorescent ‘fingerprints’ that are unique to specific elements. Nothing is destroyed when the excitation ends, allowing for elements to be identified non-destructively.
XRF experiments require minimal training and sample preparation, speeding up both the implementation of the technique and the analysis itself. As a result, XRF is commonly used in many high-stakes applications like cement manufacturing and drug development.
Moving XRF to the process line
The Epsilon Xflow – an energy-dispersive spectrometer – takes speed, usability, and accuracy to new levels by positioning the instrument directly over the process line. This allows for real-time detection of anomalies, preventing issues from going unnoticed until manual sampling and analysis occur. As a result, it can mean the difference between a minor, easily fixed issue and a potential regulatory violation.
Not only does this technology minimize harm, it also plays a vital role in environmental protection by maximizing process efficiency. The optimization of corrective actions and daily wastewater management reduces consumption and waste of time, chemicals, and costs.
By cutting down their reliance on specialized sample analysis and obtaining real-time results directly from the material stream, companies can adjust key parameters more swiftly and precisely. The Epsilon Xflow’s high accuracy, consistent performance, and adaptability to changing process conditions make it ideal for meeting the rapidly evolving demands of the mining industry.
Going beyond compliance
As we move toward a more sustainable future, on-line analyzers are already setting the stage for reduced environmental impact, improved resource management, enhanced quality, and increased profitability. Embracing these advancements brings us closer to a future where regulatory compliance goes hand-in-hand with operational efficiency and financial success.
If you’re looking forward to this future, and would like to learn more about on-line analysis in your industry, contact our experts today.