The characteristic properties of waste rock piles in terms of metal leaching.

Surface/ground waters could be polluted when rain-water and/or snow-melt water infiltrate through waste rock piles at mine sites and dissolve secondary minerals (salts) from rock surfaces. It is important to reduce solute loading by the optimal configuration of waste rock piles. This requires the proper definition and determination of the characteristic properties of waste rock piles in terms of metal leaching and, in particular, rate control mechanisms and scaling laws, and their dependence upon configuration variables.