본 연구에서는 토양세척기법으로 1차 처리한 광미에 제거되지 않고 남아있는 중금속을 인산염을 이용해서 안정화하였다. 광미에 잔류하는 오염물질 농도는 As (1,861 mg/kg), Cd (20 mg/kg), Cu (56 mg/kg), Pb (2,149 mg/kg), Zn (633 mg/kg)이었다. 안정화제로는 CaHPO₄, Ca(H₂PO₄)2?H₂O, hydroxyapatite를 사용하였고, 안정화제의 첨가량은 0.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 10 wt%, 안정화 기간은 1, 3, 5, 7, 14일로 조절하였다. 세 가지 안정화제 모두 효율이 높았지만, 그 중에서 Ca(H₂PO₄)2?H₂O의 효율이 가장 높았고 첨가량은 1 wt%가 적당했다. 안정화 기간에 따른 효율차이는 크지 않았다. 1 wt% Ca(H₂PO₄)2?H₂O를 사용해서 1일 동안 안정화 처리를 한 경우, TCLP 용출액의 비소와 중금속 농도는 As (0.328 mg/L), Cd (0.250 mg/L), Cu (0.143 mg/L), Pb (0.359mg/L), Zn (2.622 mg/L)로 모두 각각의 RCRA-TCLP 기준치 이하로 나타나 안정성이 있는 것으로 평가되었다.
In this study, the residual heavy metals in the mine tailings, primarily treated by soil washing, were stabilized using phosphate salts. The concentrations of residual contaminants in the washed mine tailings were As (1,861 mg/kg), Cd (20 mg/kg), Cu (56 mg/kg), Pb (2,149 mg/kg), and Zn (633 mg/kg). They were stabilized with CaHPO₄, Ca(H₂PO₄)2·H₂O, and hydroxyapatite at 0.1 wt%, 1 wt%, and 10 wt% for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days. It was found that 1 wt% Ca(H₂PO₄)2·H₂O was optimum in our experiments, but the stabilization duration did not affect the efficiency. After stabilization with 1 wt% Ca(H₂PO₄)2·H₂O for 1 day, the concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals, As (0.328 mg/L), Cd (0.250 mg/L), Cu (0.143 mg/L), Pb (0.359 mg/L), and Zn (2.622 mg/L), in TCLP leachate were below the RCRA-TCLP limits, which meant the contaminants in the treated mine tailings were stably immobilized.