Long-term dispersion and availability of metals from submarine mine tailing disposal in a fjord in Arctic Norway.

Mining of Cu took place in Kvalsund in the Arctic part of Norway in the 1970s, and mine tailings were discharged to the inner part of the fjord, Repparfjorden. Metal speciation analysis was used to assess the historical dispersion of metals as well as their potential bioavailability from the area of the mine tailing disposal. It was revealed that the dispersion of Ba, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn from the mine tailings has been limited. Dispersion of Cu to the outer fjord has, however, occurred; the amounts released and dispersed from the mine tailing disposal area quantified to be 2.5-10 t, less than 5% of Cu in the original mine tailings. An estimated 80-390 t of Cu still remains in the disposal area from the surface to a depth of 16 cm. Metal partitioning showed that 56-95% of the Cu is bound in the potential bioavailable fractions (exchangeable, reducible and oxidisable) of the sediments, totalling approximately 70-340 t, with potential for continuous release to the pore water and re-precipitation in over- and underlying sediments. Surface sediments in the deposit area were affected by elevated Cu concentrations just above the probable effect level according to the Norwegian sediment quality criteria, with 50-80% Cu bound in the exchangeable, reducible and oxidisable fractions, potentially available for release to the water column and/or for uptake in benthic organisms.

The impact of submarine copper mine tailing disposal from the 1970s on Repparfjorden, northern Norway.

We investigate the state of sedimentological environment and contaminant status of Repparfjorden (N Norway) impacted by submarine disposal of mine tailings during the 1970s using sedimentological and geochemical properties of seventeen sediment cores. The impact of tailings disposal is mainly restricted to the inner fjord where the discharge occurred. Sediment cores retrieved from the inner fjord contain layers of mine tailings up to 9-cm thick, 3-9cm below the seafloor. Spreading of the tailing-related metal Cu and particles is limited to the inner fjord and to a 2cm layer in one core from the outer fjord. Two interrelated factors, fjord morphology and sedimentation rate, controlled the distribution of contaminant-laden tailings in the fjord. The mobility of Cu from buried contaminated sediments to the sediment-water interface in the inner fjord indicates that benthic communities have been continuously exposed to elevated Cu concentrations for nearly four decades.