Analysis of unconfined compressive strength and environmental impact of MICP-treated lead-zinc tailings sand instead of sand as embankment material

Tailings can be used as embankment materials instead of sand. However, they contain large amounts of heavy metal pollutants, which can lead to groundwater pollution. In this study, (lead-Zinc) Pb-Zn tailings with five particle sizes and Sporosarcina pasteurii were used as test materials. Combined with the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and leaching of heavy metal pollutants from Pb-Zn tailings, the feasibility of applying microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP)-treated Pb-Zn tailings to embankment materials was analysed from the perspective of strength and environmental performance. The results showed that the UCS and carbonate content of the specimens made of Pb-Zn tailings treated using MICP decreased with a decrease in the number of Pb-Zn tailing particles. The pH value of the leaching solution after MICP treatment of Pb-Zn tailings sand was stable at 7.83-8.03, and the fixation rate of metal ions was 90.28 %-100 %. FTIR, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy tests showed that after the Pb-Zn tailings with particle sizes less than 100 mesh were treated using MICP, the number of carbonate crystals, crystal uniformity, and crystal overlap on the surface of the sample were considerably higher than those of the tailings with particle sizes greater than 250 mesh. The compressive strength and environmental performance of Pb-Zn tailings with particle sizes less than 100 mesh treated using MICP are good, and they are more suitable for embankment materials.