ISSN 1070-3632, Russian Journal of General Chemistry, 2015, Vol. 85, No. 13, pp. 2867–2873.

© Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2015.

Original Russian Text © V.P. Zvereva, L.T. Krupskaya, 2014, published in Ekologicheskaya Khimiya, 2014, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 191–197.

Rare Earth Elements in Mine, Slime, and River Waters

in the Kavalerovsky and Dalnegorsky Districts
of the Russian Far East
V. P. Zverevaa–c and L. T. Krupskayac,d
a
Far East Federal University, ul. Sukhanova 8, Vladivostok, 600091 Russia
e-mail: zvereva@fegi.ru
b
Far East Geological Institute, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences,
pr. 100-letiya Vladivistoka 159, Vladivostok, 690022 Russia
c
Pacific National University, ul. Tikhookeanskaya 136, Khabarovsk, 680035 Russia
d
Far East Forestry Research Institute, Volochaevskaya ul. 71, Khabarovsk, 680020 Russia

Received September 1, 2014

Abstract—The concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) in anthropogenic (mine and slime) and river
waters of Kavalerovsky and Dalnegorsky districts of the Far East have been estimated. The highest
concentrations of REs have been found in mine water of the Dubrovskoe deposit (Kavalerovsky district),
especially in the slime waters of the old tailing dump of the Krasnorechenskaya ore-dressing plant (KODP,
Dalnegorsky district). Contamination of the Rudnaya river water has been detected in the vicinity of the KODP
old and new tailings dumps. Taking into account that REEs are concomitant with sulfide minerals, the former
can be extracted by repeated processing of wastes from the KODP old and new tailings dumps.
Keywords: sulfides, anthropogenic waters, hypergenesis, anthropogenesis, rare earth elements
DOI: 10.1134/S1070363215130010

INTRODUCTION the sulfide ore hypergenesis zones in Primorsky Krai

Rare earth elements (REEs) include yttrium,
lanthanum, and 13 lanthanides: cerium, praseo-
dymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadoli-
nium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium,
ytterbium, and lutetium. Extensive studies of REs have
started in 1960s due to their large-scale production.
Development of analytical methods over the past
decades has enabled quantitative determination of REs
in host rocks, sulfide minerals, and anthropogenic and
river waters, which favored geochemical studies of
REs and numerous publications in Russian and foreign
literature [1–9].
Rare earth elements are present in heavy metal
sulfides. Decomposition of the latter in the course of
hypergene processes favors carry-over of REEs
together with heavy metals to mine, slime, and
drainage waters and then to surface and ground waters.
The behavior and concentration of REEs in anthro-
pogenic highly mineralized sulfate waters formed in
have almost not been studied.
Deposits and wastes in the Kavalerovsky district
are classed as tin sulfide, and those in the Dalnegorsky
district are lead–zinc (Central Ore-Dressing Plant,
CODP) and tin–lead–zinc (Krasnorechenskaya Ore-
Dressing Plant, KODP).
The goal of the present study was to estimate the
REE content of mine, slime, and river waters in the
Kavalerovsky and Dalnegorsky districts of Primorsky
Krai. For this purpose it was necessary to analyze
distribution of REEs in anthropogenic and river waters
since 2006 until 2013 and evaluate their effect on the
hydrosphere.
EXPERIMENTAL
Hydrochemical samples were analyzed for REEs by
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP
MS) at the Analytical Center of the Far East Geological
Institute, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of

2867
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Table 1. Concentrations of REEs in mine waters in the Dalnegorsky and Kavalerovsky districts (μg/L)
Sampling site
La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
and time
Backgrounda 0.145 0.195 0.049 0.220 0.059 0.015 0.060 0.009 0.052 0.010 0.029 0.004 0.026 0.004
b
Background 0.312 0.456 0.084 0.371 0.091 0.023 0.102 0.014 0.076 0.015 0.04 0.005 0.033 0.005
1st Sovetskii mine
October 2007 1.400 2.600 0.300 1.500 0.300 0.100 0.300 <0.100 0.200 NDc 0.100 0.100 <0.1 0.200
June 2009 2.600 3.760 0.650 2.610 0.520 0.110 0.480 0.060 0.340 0.06 0.170 0.020 0.14 0.020
June 2010 0.140 0.280 0.030 0.150 0.030 0.009 0.030 0.004 0.024 0.005 0.013 0.001 0.011 0.002
July 2011 1.710 3.440 0.420 1.700 0.340 0.070 0.340 0.050 0.250 0.05 0.120 0.020 0.09 0.010
October 2012 0.510 1.010 0.120 0.490 0.100 0.020 0.100 0.010 0.070 0.01 0.030 0.004 0.024 0.003
Khrustal’noe deposit
June 2009 5.40 11.30 1.30 4.400 0.700 0.300 0.800 0.200 0.500 0.2 0.200 <0.100 0.2 <0.100
October 2009 1.49 1.36 0.13 0.420 0.050 0.014 0.080 0.010 0.060 0.01 0.030 0.004 0.015 0.002
June 2010 1.50 1.13 0.10 0.370 0.050 0.014 0.080 0.009 0.050 0.01 0.030 0.002 0.02 0.002
October 2010 1.72 1.21 0.13 0.400 0.050 0.010 0.080 0.010 0.050 0.01 0.030 0.003 0.014 0.002
July 2011 0.95 0.90 0.09 0.300 0.040 0.010 0.060 0.008 0.050 0.01 0.030 0.003 0.014 0.002
October 2012 0.37 0.31 0.03 0.110 0.020 0.007 0.030 0.004 0.020 0.005 0.012 0.001 0.007 0.001
October 2013 1.55 1.30 0.11 0.403 0.054 0.034 0.127 0.015 0.051 0.012 0.041 0.003 0.019 0.003
Dubrovskoe deposit
July 2008 10.06 26.75 3.24 12.86 2.86 0.600 2.990 0.420 2.16 0.36 0.85 0.110 0.63 0.090
June 2009 4.28 6.43 0.64 2.22 0.37 0.080 0.380 0.050 0.24 0.04 0.10 0.010 0.05 0.010
October 2009 3.18 4.13 0.36 1.17 0.17 0.036 0.200 0.025 0.12 0.02 0.05 0.005 0.024 0.003
June 2010 13.40 20.10 1.88 6.67 1.04 0.220 1.360 0.140 0.69 0.12 0.27 0.030 0.13 0.015
October 2010 27.86 46.83 4.78 16.90 2.83 0.600 3.110 0.380 1.87 0.32 0.75 0.080 0.37 0.040
October 2012 35.70 55.60 5.47 19.10 2.93 0.600 3.690 0.430 2.10 0.37 0.86 0.080 0.42 0.050
October 2013 19.84 30.54 2.76 9.14 14.80 0.300 2.730 0.450 0.91 0.17 0.72 0.036 0.24 0.350
a
Kavalerovsky district. b Dalnegorsky district. c Not detected.

Sciences, using a Thermo Scientific ELEMENT XR
instrument.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of analysis of mine and slime waters are
given in Tables 1–3.
The concentrations of REEs in the mine water of
the 1st Sovetskii mine in the Dalnegorsky district (Table 1)
exceeded the background values by factors of 1.5 to
8.3 (La), 0.6–8.2 (Ce), 1.4–7.7 (Pr), 0.4–7 (Nd), 1.1–
5.7 (Sm), 3–4.8 (Eu), 2.9–4.7 (Gd), 3.6–4.3 (Tb), 2.6–
4.5 (Dy), 4 (Ho), 2.5–4.3 (Er), 4–20 (Tm), 2.7–4.2
(Yb), and 4–40 (Lu). The REE content of anthro-
pogenic mine waters of the Khrustal’noe and Dubrov-
skoe Deposits in the Kavalerovsky district (Table 1)
was also higher than the background values by factors
of, respectively, 1.6–58 and 22–246 (La), 1.6–58 and
21.2–285 (Ce), 1.8–265 and 7.3–111.6 (Pr), 1.4–20 and
5.3–86.8 (Nd), 7.7 (single sample) and 2.9–240.3
(Sm), 2 (single sample) and 2.4–40 (Eu), 1.3–2.1 and
3.3–61.5 (Gd), 1.1–22.2 and 2.7–50 (Tb), not exceeded
(Khrustal’noe deposit) and 2.3–41.5 (Dy), 2 and 2–37
(Ho), 1.4–6.9 and 1.7–29.7 (Er), 2.5 (Tm, only

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 RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN MINE, SLIME, AND RIVER WATERS 2869

Table 2. Concentrations of REEs in slime waters of tailings dumps in the Kavalerovsky district (μg/L)

Sampling site and

La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
time
Backgrounda 0.145 0.195 0.049 0.220 0.059 0.015 0.060 0.009 0.052 0.010 0.029 0.004 0.026 0.004
2nd Tailings dump (Fabrichnyi settlement)
August 2008 8.100 9.200 0.800 2.100 0.300 0.200 0.5 <0.1 0.3 <0.1 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
October 2009 0.400 1.010 0.110 0.430 0.120 0.030 0.12 0.016 0.08 0.015 0.034 0.004 0.025 0.003
July 2011 0.180 0.220 0.030 0.130 0.030 0.010 0.04 0.005 0.024 0.004 0.01 0.001 0.006 0.001
3rd Tailings dump (Fabrichnyi sttlement)
July 2006 5.000 14.0 2.00 7.00 1.000 <1.000 <1.000 <1.000 <1.00 <1.000 <1.000 <1.000 <1.00 <1.00
August 2008 5.400 11.3 1.30 4.40 0.700 0.300 0.800 0.20 0.50 0.20 0.200 <0.100 0.200 <0.10
June 2009 8.100 14.6 1.60 6.08 1.040 0.240 1.020 0.120 0.61 0.10 0.230 0.300 0.130 0.020
June 2010 2.490 7.87 1.09 4.59 0.880 0.200 0.880 0.100 0.47 0.080 0.180 0.020 0.110 0.003
October 2010 1.310 3.72 0.51 2.12 0.370 0.010 0.350 0.040 0.20 0.030 0.070 0.008 0.040 0.005
July 2011 2.000 6.55 0.90 4.00 0.800 0.180 0.700 0.100 0.40 0.060 0.100 0.001 0.006 0.001
October 2012 9.870 24.0 3.01 11.80 2.210 0.500 2.200 0.270 1.24 0.200 0.450 0.050 0.250 0.030
October 2013 0.650 2.31 0.34 1.61 0.353 0.082 0.472 0.087 0.20 0.036 0.151 0.008 0.074 0.009
Dubrovskoe tailings dump
June 2009 20.00 50.8 6.60 30.20 8.10 2.80 9.50 1.4 6.700 1.200 2.700 0.400 1.800 0.300
October 2009 0.810 1.69 0.18 0.70 0.13 0.03 0.12 0.02 0.080 0.010 0.030 0.004 0.020 0.003
June 2010 2.360 4.89 0.50 2.12 0.4 0.08 0.40 0.05 0.200 0.040 0.100 0.010 0.060 0.008
October 2010 0.500 0.96 0.12 0.43 0.08 0.02 0.08 0.01 0.050 0.010 0.020 0.003 0.020 0.003
July 2011 2.310 4.76 0.50 2.02 0.37 0.08 0.30 0.04 0.200 0.040 0.100 0.010 0.060 0.010
October 2012 2.020 4.37 0.50 1.88 0.34 0.07 0.30 0.38 0.200 0.030 0.070 0.010 0.050 0.005
October 2013 0.820 1.75 0.21 0.76 0.18 0.04 0.26 0.05 0.095 0.018 0.091 0.007 0.043 0.007
Vysokogorskoe tailings dump
June 2009 0.160 0.52 0.06 0.25 0.06 0.010 0.060 0.010 0.040 0.010 0.020 0.003 0.020 0.002
June 2010 0.020 0.02 0.005 0.02 0.01 0.003 0.010 0.001 0.010 0.001 0.003 <0.001 0.003 0.001
October 2010 0.020 0.01 0.005 0.02 0.01 0.002 0.010 0.001 0.005 0.001 0.004 0.001 0.003 0.001
October 2012 1.060 2.38 0.3 1.34 0.3 0.060 0.300 0.040 0.20 0.030 0.100 0.010 0.060 0.010
October 2013 0.024 0.02 0.008 0.037 0.014 0.022 0.013 0.003 0.010 0.003 0.009 0.001 0.006 0.002
a
Background water.

Dubrovskoe deposit), 2.6 (single sample) and 1.9–24.3
(Yb), and not exceeded (Khrustal’noe deposit) and 2.5–
87.5 (Lu).
The concentrations of REEs in mine waters varied
in the following ranges (μg/L): 0.14–3.57 (La), 0.28–
55.6 (Ce), 0.03–5.47 (Pr), 0.11–19.1 (Nd), 0.2–14.8
(Sm), 0.007–0.6 (Eu), 0.03–3.39 (Gd), 0.004–0.45
(Tb), 0.02–2.16 (Dy), 0.005–0.37 (Ho), 0.012–0.86
(Er), 0.001–0.08 (Tm), 0.011–0.63 (Yb ), and 0.001–
0.35 (Lu). The total concentration of all REEs in
anthropogenic waters of the 1st Sovetskii mine
changed from 0.73 (June 2010) to 11.54 μg/L (June
2009), of the Khrustal’noe deposit, from 1.71 (October

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2870 ZVEREVA, KRUPSKAYA

Table 3. Concentrations of REEs in slime waters of tailings dumps in the Dalnegorsky district (μg/L)

Sampling site and

La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
time
Backgrounda 0.312 0.456 0.084 0.371 0.091 0.023 0.102 0.014 0.076 0.015 0.04 0.005 0.033 0.005

New CODP tailings dump

October 2007 1.500 3.400 0.400 1.600 0.400 0.100 0.400 0.100 0.400 0.100 0.2 <0.100 0.100 NDb
June 2009 0.200 0.200 <0.100 0.200 <0.100 <0.100 <0.100 <0.10 <0.100 <0.100 <0.1 <0.100 <0.10 <0.100
June 2010 0.010 0.010 0.003 0.008 0.005 0.007 0.003 0.001 0.002 0.001 0.001 <0.001 0.002 <0.001
July 2011 0.040 0.010 0.001 0.010 0.020 0.080 0.015 0.002 0.013 0.002 0.01 0.002 0.010 0.002
October 2012 0.060 0.130 0.013 0.050 0.012 0.006 0.014 0.002 0.010 0.002 0.006 0.001 0.005 <0.001
October 2013 0.415 1.069 0.095 0.441 0.102 0.048 0.105 0.021 0.164 0.015 0.054 0.006 0.056 0.005
New KODP tailings dump
July 2006 31.00 77.00 9.000 42.00 11.000 0.100 4.000 2.000 10.000 2.000 4.0 <0.100 <0.10 <0.100
June 2009 0.300 0.500 0.200 0.300 <0.100 <0.100 0.200 <0.10 <0.100 <0.100 <0.1 <0.100 <0.10 <0.100
July 2011 0.209 0.256 0.024 0.100 0.020 0.010 0.036 0.005 0.030 0.006 0.014 0.002 0.009 0.001
October 2012 0.066 0.123 0.014 0.050 0.013 0.010 0.018 0.002 0.013 0.002 0.006 0.001 0.004 <0.001
October 2013 0.290 0.339 0.030 0.130 0.031 0.086 0.038 0.008 0.068 0.008 0.023 0.002 0.014 0.002
Old KODP tailings dump
July 2006 41.00 104.0 13.00 59.00 16.000 5.000 17.000 2.000 12.000 2.00 5.0 <1.000 3.00 <1.000
October 2007 66.70 558.0 18.50 91.90 23.200 7.600 29.000 3.500 19.800 3.20 0.8 4.900 0.60 23.60
June 2010 63.00 152.0 18.40 84.80 22.900 8.620 31.300 4.450 23.400 4.09 9.72 1.140 6.470 0.870
June 2009 8.56 19.54 2.480 10.52 2.930 1.040 3.650 0.530 2.790 0.47 1.12 0.130 0.720 0.100
July 2011 183.0 418.0 56.20 254.0 69.600 25.900 87.500 12.90 67.700 11.80 28.8 3.350 18.90 2.560
October 2012 44.90 112.0 14.60 66.00 17.200 5.840 18.900 2.510 12.200 1.96 4.56 0.500 2.780 0.370
October 2013 47.76 131.4 14.26 70.82 18.888 5.054 14.322 3.098 13.195 2.28 6.827 0.582 3.634 0.473
a b
Background water. Not detected.

2012) to 25.3 μg/L (June 2009), and of the Dubrovskoe
deposit, from 9.94 (October 2009) to 127.4 μg/L
(October 2012). The occurrence of REEs in the
examined samples may be represented by the series
Ce > Nd > Sm > Pr > Gd > La > Dy > Er > Yb > Eu >
Tb > Ho > Lu > Tm.
It follows from the above data that mine waters of
the Dubrovskoe deposit are most enriched in REEs and
that mine waters of the 1st Sovetskii mine contain
REEs at lowest concentrations.
Next, consider the REE concentrations in slime
waters of abandoned tailings dumps in the Kavale-
rovskii district (Table 2). Slime water from the 2nd
tailings dump was sampled only in 2008–2011; since
that time the slime pond has dried up. The
concentration of REEs in the samples exceeded the
background values up to 56 and 47 times for La and
Ce, while the exceedance for the other elements ranged
from 1.5 to 16 times.
The concentrations of all REEs in the slime water
of the Vysokogorskoe deposit exceeded the back-
ground values only in October 2012 (Table 2) by
factors of 7.3 (La), 12 (Ce), 6.1 (Pr, Nd), 5.1 (Sm), 4
(Eu), 5 (Gd), 4.4 (Tb), 3.8 (Dy), 3 (Ho), 3.4 (Er), 2.5
(Tm, Lu), and 2.3 (Yb). Higher REE concentrations
were found in the slime water from the 3rd tailings

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 RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN MINE, SLIME, AND RIVER WATERS 2871

Table 4. Concentrations of REEs in river waters in the Dalnegorsky and Kavalerovsky districts (μg/L)
Sampling site and
La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
time
Backgrounda 0.145 0.195 0.049 0.220 0.059 0.015 0.060 0.009 0.052 0.010 0.029 0.004 0.026 0.004
b
Background 0.312 0.456 0.084 0.371 0.091 0.023 0.102 0.014 0.076 0.015 0.04 0.005 0.033 0.005
Rudnaya River, 26 km
October 2007 0.2 0.2 <0.1 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
June 2009 0.6 1.4 0.3 0.6 0.2 <0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
June 2010 0.059 0.05 0.022 0.079 0.017 0.006 0.02 0.003 0.015 0.004 0.009 0.001 0.011 0.001
July 2011 0.101 0.098 0.022 0.093 0.021 0.005 0.023 0.003 0.020 0.004 0.011 0.002 0.010 0.002
October 2012 0.177 0.203 0.040 0.167 0.037 0.009 0.042 0.006 0.032 0.006 0.018 0.002 0.015 0.003
October 2013 0.079 0.076 1.426 0.099 0.024 0.029 0.025 0.005 0.018 0.002 0.016 0.002 0.011 0.002
Rudnaya River, 14.5 km downstream from the CODP tailings dump
October 2013 0.023 0.038 0.007 0.036 0.008 0.027 0.008 0.002 0.013 0.001 0.008 0.001 0.005 0.001
Rudnaya River, upstream from the KODP tailings dumps
October 2013 0.010 0.008 0.003 0.013 0.008 0.077 0.003 0.001 0.004 0.001 0.004 0.001 0.003 0.001
Rudnaya River, downstream from the KODP tailings dumps
October 2013 6.318 10.549 1.455 15.639 2.000 0.535 1.581 0.351 1.740 0.317 0.938 0.084 0.554 0.073
Partizanka River, downstream from the Dubrovskoe deposit
July 2011 0.256 0.322 0.043 0.164 0.029 0.007 0.032 0.004 0.020 0.004 0.012 0.002 0.011 0.002
Kavalerovka River (Fabrichnyi settlement)
July 2011 0.135 0.148 0.029 0.122 0.025 0.007 0.028 0.003 0.018 0.004 0.010 0.001 0.008 0.001
Vysokogorka River, downstream from Vysokogorskoe deposit
October 2009 0.08 0.07 0.026 0.119 0.032 0.005 0.03 0.004 0.023 0.005 0.012 0.002 0.011 0.002
October 2010 0.071 0.025 0.023 0.107 0.024 0.005 0.027 0.004 0.02 0.004 0.013 0.002 0.012 0.002
Vetvistyi Creek, downstream from the Vysokogorskoe tailings dump
June 2009 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
October 2010 0.746 1.303 0.136 0.481 0.090 0.020 0.111 0.014 0.070 0.013 0.032 0.004 0.022 0.003
a b
Kavalerovsky district. Dalnegorsky district.

dump (Fabrichnyi settlement); the corresponding ex-
ceedance values were 4.5–68 (La), 12–123 (Ce), 9–61
(Pr), 7–54 (Nd), 6–38 (Sm), 5–20 (Eu), 4–37 (Gd), 4–
30 (Tb), 4–24 (Dy), 3–36 (Ho), 2–16 (Er), 2–75 (Tm),
and 3–10 (Yb). The slime water of the Dubrovskoe
deposit was characterized by the highest REE concen-
trations which were 3.4–138 (La), 5–260 (Ce), 2–135
(Pr), 2–137 (Nd), 2–137 (Sm), 2–180 (Eu), 2–158
(Gd), 2–156 (Tb), 4–129 (Dy), 3–120 (Ho), 3–93 (Er),
2–100 (Tm), and 2–69 times (Yb) higher than the
background values.
The REE concentration ranges in the slime waters
are as follows (μg/L): 0.02–20 (La), 0.01–50.8 (Ce),
0.005–6.6 (Pr), 0.02–11.8 (Nd), 0.01–8.1 (Sm), 0.002–
2.8 (Eu), 0.01–9.5 (Gd), 0.001–1.4 (Tb), 0.005–6.7
(Dy), 0.001–1.2 (Ho), 0.003–2.7 (Er), 0.001–0.4 (Tm),
0.003–1.8 (Yb), and 0.001–0.3 (Lu). The total mineral
content of the slime waters changed from 69 (July
2011) to 4.6 μg/L in the 2-nd tailings dump, from 5.82
(October 2013) to 55.87 μg/L (October 2012) in the
3rd tailings dump, from 2.21 (October 2010) to
142.3 μg/L (June 2009) in the Dubrovskoe tailings

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2872 ZVEREVA, KRUPSKAYA
dump, and from 0.1 (June 2010) to 2.75 μg/L (October
2012) in the Vysokogorskoe tailings dump. The con-
centrations of the examined rare earth elements in the
slime waters decrease in the series Ce > La > Nd >
Gd > Sm > Dy > Pr > Er > Eu > Yb > Tb > Ho >
Tm > Lu.
Different REE concentration patterns were ob-
served in the slime waters of the old and new (both
abandoned) KODP tailings dumps and new (operating)
CODP tailings dump (Table 3). The REE content of the
slime water of the new CODP tailings dump varied
from (μg/L) 0.01 to 1.5 for La, 0.01–3.4 (Ce), 0.001–
0.4 (Pr), 0.008–1.6 (Nd), 0.005–0.4 (Sm), 0.006–
0.048 (Eu), 0.003–0.4 (Gd), 0.001–0.1 (Tb), 0.002–
0.4 (Dy), 0.001–0.1 (Ho), and 0.001–0.2 (Er). These
concentrations exceeded the corresponding background
values mainly in October 2007 by factors of 4.8 (La),
7.5 (Ce), 4.8 (Pr), 4.3 (Nd), 4.4 (Sm), 4.3 (Eu), 4 (Gd),
7.1 (Tb), 5.3 (Dy), not exceeded (Ho), 5 (Er), and 3
(Yb). The total mineral content of the slime water
ranged from 0.05 (July 2010) to 8.7 μg/L (October
2008). The abundance of REEs conformed to the series
Ce > Nd > La > Sm ≥ Pr ≥ Gd ≥ Dy > Er > Eu > Ho >
Tb.
The concentrations of REEs in the slime water of
the new KODP tailings dump change in the following
ranges (μg/L): 0.07–31 (La), 0.12–77 (Ce), 0.014–9
(Pr), 0.05–42 (Nd), 0.013–11 (Sm), 0.01–0.086 (Eu),
0.81–4 (Gd), 0.002–2 (Tb), 0.013–10 (Dy), 0.012–2
(Ho), 0.006–4 (Er). The background concentrations
were exceeded mostly in July 2006 by factors of 99.4
for La, 161.8 for Ce, 107 for Pr, 113.2 for Nd, 121 for
Sm, 4.3 for Eu, 39.2 for Gd, 1429 for Tb, 131.6 for Dy,
133.3 for Ho, and 100 for Er, while no exceedance was
observed for Tm, Yb, and Lu. The total mineral
content of the slime water ranged from 0.72 (July
2011) to 192.2 μg/L (June 2006). The REEs ranked as
follows with respect to their concentration: Ce > Nd >
La > Sm > Pr > Gd ≥ Dy > Er > Tb ≥ Ho > Eu.
The highest concentrations of all REEs were found
in the slime water in the old KODP tailings dump, μg/L:
8.56–183 (La), 19.54–558 (Ce), 2.48–56.2 (Pr), 10.52–
254 (Nd), 2.93–69.6 (Sm), 1.04–25.9 (Eu), 3.65–87.7
(Gd), 0.53–12.9 (Tb), 2.79–23.4 (Dy), 0.47–11.8 (Ho),
0.8–28.8 (Er), 0.13–4.9 (Tm), 0.6–18.9 (Yb), 0.10–
23.6 (Lu). These concentrations were higher than the
background values by factors of 27–586 (La), 43–1223
(Ce), 30–669 (Pr), 28–248 (Nd), 32–764 (Sm), 45–
1126 (Eu), 36–856 (Gd), 38–921 (Tb), 37–890 (Dy),
31–786 (Ho), 20–720 (Er), 26–980 (Tm), 18–572
RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF GENERAL CHEMISTRY Vol. 85 No. 13 2015
(Yb), and 20–4720 (Lu), and the total mineral content
of the slime water ranged from 54.28 (June 2009) to
1240.2 μg/L (July 2011). The abundance of REEs
decreased in the series Ce > Nd > La > Gd > Sm >
Pr > Er > Eu > Lu > Dy > Yb > Tb > Ho.
Apart from mine and slime waters, samples of river
waters were withdrawn and analyzed (Table 4). High
REE concentrations were found in Rudnaya River
within Krasnorechensk settlement (old and new KODP
tailings dumps), μg/L: 6.3 (La, 20 times higher than
the background concentration), 10.5 (Ce, 23), 15.6
(Nd, 42), 1.45 (Pr, 17), 2 (Sm, 22), 0.535 (Eu, 23),
1.58 (Gd, 16), 0.351 (Tb, 25), 1.74 (Dy, 23), 0.317
(Ho, 21), 0.938 (Er, 23), 0.084 (Tm, 17), 0.554 (Yb,
17), 0.073 (Lu, 15); total mineral content 42.13 μg/L.
Samples of Rudnaya River water at 26 km, i.e.,
considerably downstream from the KODP tailings
dumps, old CODP tailings dump, and Dalnegorsk
town, contained REEs at concentrations not exceeding
the background values; an exception was Pr whose
concentration was 17 times higher than the background
value. These findings indicated strong dilution of the
river water. Rudnaya River is one of the most polluted
river over the world with respect to a large number of
sulfide ore elements [10]. Increased REE concentra-
tions in Vetvistyi Creek (Kavalerovsky district) were
observed only in 2011; they exceeded the background
values by factors of 5 (La), 6.7 (Ce), 21.9 (Nd), 2.7
(Pr), 1.5 (Sm), 1.3 (Eu, Ho, Er), 1.9 (Gd), 1.6 (Tb, Dy),
and 1.1 (Tm). The REE concentrations in water
samples withdrawn from Partizanka, Kavalerovka, and
Vysokogorka rivers were lower than the corresponding
background values.
CONCLUSIONS
In summary, we have found that the mine waters in
the Dubrovskoe deposit (Kavalerovsky district) are the
richest in rare earth elements and that those in the 1st
Sovetskii mine (Dalnegorsky district) contain the lowest
concentrations of REEs. In the Dalnegorsky district,
the highest REE concentrations were detected in the
slime water of the old KODP tailings dump. In the
Kavalerovsky district, slime waters in the Dubrovskoe
deposit and 3rd tailings dump in the Fabrichnyi
settlement were characterized by increased REE.
Pollution with REEs of Rudnaya River (Dalnegorsky
district) in the vicinity of the old and new KODP
tailings dumps and of Vetvistyi Creek (Kavalerovsky
district) downstream from the Vysokogorskoe tailings
 RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN MINE, SLIME, AND RIVER WATERS
dump should be noted. Taking into account that REEs
are concomitant with sulfide minerals, sulfide ores in
Krasnorechensk deposits and wastes from the
Krasnorechensk ore-dressing plant (14.3 million tons
have been accumulated at the old and new KODP
tailings dumps) should be strongly enriched in REEs
and therefore may be reused to extract the latter.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The study was performed by a grant from the
Russian Science Foundation (project no. 15-17-10016),
Federal State Educational Institution of Higher
Professional Education “Pacific National University.”
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