Tamarugite, NaAl(SO4)2·6H2O, as a valuable indicator of soil degradation in a Spanish coastal wetland receiving acidic leachates from spilled mine waste

Abstract

This paper documents the first occurrence of tamarugite in a Spanish coastal wetland registered as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and discusses its origin and environmental significance. Tamarugite occurs as bladed crystals in efflorescent coatings on the topsoil of marshy areas, alongside an abandoned mining railroad. Tamarugite formation is described as a sequential process involving: (1) Oxidative dissolution of pyrite ore spilled on the former railway tracks and generation of acidic sulfate-rich waters; (2) decomposition of layer minerals under acidic conditions and release of Al3+ ions into solution; (3) interaction between acid discharges and estuarine water during flood tidal periods; and (4) precipitation of tamarugite and associated sulfate salts (sideronatrite, epsomite, pickeringite) under strongly evaporative conditions. These transient minerals have potential to release acid and associated major elements (Al, Fe, Mg, Na, S) and trace metals (e.g. Zn) into the solution causing detrimental effects. The occurrence of tamarugite is, therefore, a valuable indicator of environmental degradation in wetland ecosystems.