## 3 Results and Discussion
### Mineralogical Analysis  
The mineralogical analysis of the TSF tailings and salt precipitates was performed by using X-ray diffraction and the metallographic observation of polished sections. The results of XRD showed (Figure 11) that these samples consist mainly of iron oxides (magnetite: Fe\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{4}\)), sulfides (stibinite: Sb\({}_{2}\)S\({}_{3}\), aniline: Cu\({}_{7}\)S\({}_{4}\), bismuthinite: Bi\({}_{2}\)S\({}_{3}\), stem-bergite: AgFe\({}_{2}\)S\({}_{3}\), paraquanajautite: Bi\({}_{2}\)(Se\({}_{5}\)S\({}_{3}\)), arsenide (lollingite: FeAs\({}_{2}\), skutterudite: (Co\({}_{0}\)Ni,Fe)As\({}_{3}\), clinosafflorite: (Co\({}_{0}\)Ni,Fe)As\({}_{2}\)), koutketite: (Cu\({}_{5}\)As\({}_{2}\)) and copper sulfides (tennantite: (Cu,Fe)\({}_{12}\)As\({}_{4}\)S\({}_{13}\)) associated with gold tellurides (sylvanite: (Au,Ag)Te\({}_{2}\), kremerite: Au\({}_{3}\)AgTe\({}_{2}\)). The carbonates are composed of siderite: (Fe,Mg)CO\({}_{3}\), dolomite: CaMg(CO\({}_{3}\))\({}_{2}\), axherite: Ca(Fe,Mg,Mn)(CO\({}_{3}\))\({}_{2}\), calcite: CaCO\({}_{3}\), and shareocobalite: CoCO\({}_{3}\). Thus, some silicates are identified such as phyllosilicates (clinocholice: (Mg,Fe\({}^{2+}\))\({}_{5}\)Al(OH)\({}_{8}\)/AlSi\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{10}\), nitrite: (Ni,Mg)Al\({}_{6}\)(Si,Al)\({}_{4}\)O\({}_{10}\)(OH)\({}_{8}\), pyrophyllite: Al\({}_{2}\)(Si\({}_{4}\)O\({}_{10}\))(OH)\({}_{2}\), halloysite-7A: Al\({}_{2}\)Si\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{5}\)(OH)\({}_{4}\), correnise: (Mg,Fe)\({}_{9}\)((Si,Al)\({}_{8}\)O\({}_{20}\)))  
(OH)\({}_{10}\).nH\({}_{2}\)O, biotite: K(Mg,Fe)\({}_{2}\)AlSi\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{10}\)(EOH)\({}_{2}\), brindleyite: ((Ni,Al)\({}_{5}\)(Si,Al)\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{5}\)(OH)\({}_{4}\)), muscovite: ((KF)\({}_{2}\)(Al\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{3}\))(SiO\({}_{2}\))\({}_{6}\)), inosilicates (plancheite: Cu\({}_{5}\)Si\({}_{8}\)O\({}_{22}\)(OH)\({}_{4}\).H\({}_{2}\)O, omphatic: ((Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe,Al)Si\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{6}\))), amphibodes absetiform (actinolite: Ca\({}_{2}\)(Mg,Fe)\({}_{5}\)(OH,F)\({}_{2}\)(Si\({}_{4}\)O\({}_{11}\))\({}_{2}\), cumimtonite: ((Mg,Fe)\({}_{7}\)Si\({}_{8}\)O\({}_{22}\)(OH)\({}_{2}\)), anthophyllite: (Mg,Fe)\({}_{7}\)Si\({}_{8}\)O\({}_{22}\)(OH)\({}_{2}\))), amphibodes sodic  
(ferroglaucophane: (Na\({}_{2}\)Mg\({}_{3}\)Al\({}_{2}\)(Si\({}_{5}\)O\({}_{22}\))(OH)\({}_{2}\))), zeolite (faujasite (Na\({}_{2}\)Ca,Mg)\({}_{3.5}\) (Al\({}_{7}\)Ca\({}_{8}\)).32H\({}_{2}\)O, stilbite-Ca: NaCa\({}_{4}\)(Si\({}_{27}\)Al\({}_{9}\))O\({}_{72}\).28H\({}_{2}\)O) and quartz: SiO\({}_{2}\). A wide range of secondary minerals are identified in the salt precipitates that are associated with all TSF tailings, such as oxyhydroxides claudette: As\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{3}\), pyrochroite: Mn\({}^{2+}\)(OH)\({}_{2}\), hydrotalcite: (Mg\({}_{6}\)Al\({}_{2}\)(OH)\({}_{16}\)CO\({}_{3}\)4H\({}_{2}\)O), sulfates (plumbojoaise: Pb\({}_{0.5}\)Fe\({}^{3+}\)(SO\({}_{4}\))\({}_{2}\)(OH)\({}_{6}\)), devilline: CaCu\({}_{4}\)(SO\({}_{4}\))\({}_{2}\)(OH)\({}_{6}\).3H\({}_{2}\)O, serpierite: Ca(Cu,Zn)\({}_{4}\)(SO\({}_{4}\))\({}_{2}\)(OH)\({}_{6}\).3H\({}_{2}\)O, ramsbeckite: Cu\({}_{15}\)(SO\({}_{4}\))\({}_{4}\)(OH), starkeyite: MgSO\({}_{4}\)\({}_{4}\)H\({}_{2}\)O, kieserite: MgSO\({}_{4}\)\({}_{2}\)O, cobaltkiesierite: CoSO\({}_{4}\).H\({}_{2}\)O, aplowite: CoSO\({}_{4}\).4H\({}_{2}\)O, hexahydrite: MgSO\({}_{4}\).6H\({}_{2}\)O, gypsum: CaSO\({}_{4}\).2H\({}_{2}\)O,