Wasted Critical Raw Materials: a Polluted Environmental Scenario as Potential Source of Economic Interest Elements in the Spanish Part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of using the lixiviates generated by sulphide mining in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) as a source of economic interest elements, estimating the available metal reserves and discussing the economic gains that would result from the recovery of this potential source of critical raw materials and other economic interest elements. For this purpose, 33 mining lixiviates have been evaluated. Results show annual contributions of more than 7000 t/year of Mg, 4700 t/year of Al, 3700 t/year of Mn, 34 t/year of Co, 2.3 t/year of Sb, around 24 t/year of rare earth elements (REE), etc. Considering the market metal prices for 2019, the reserves contained in the evaluated lixiviates have a potential value of around 95 million USD; however, this value is largely underestimated. Making an estimate on the total area of abandoned solid waste in the IPB, this value would be increased to an annual total of more than 400 million dollars.