Revegetation of mine tailings usually requires amendments of phosphorus. However, phosphate addition can mobilize arsenic (As) from the tailings. A 5-mo lysimeter field trial was conducted to quantify As mobilization in gold mine tailings, in association with different P amendment products and different plant species (barley Hordeum vulgare, blue lupin Lupinus angustifolius, rye corn Secale cereale) necessary for short-term revegetation of mine tailings. A simultaneous laboratory experiment was run to examine As mobilization in 1-cm-deep tailings in relation to different P amendment rates. The experimental results showed that the amount of As leached was proportional to the amount of P added. In the larger scale lysimeters, P amendment of <3 g m⁻² caused As leaching of 0.5 mg L⁻¹ from unplanted lysimeters and up to 0.9 mg L⁻¹ on average in planted lysimeters. Variable species-amendment combinations produced differences in the amount of As leached and uptaken. Leachates and uptakes were higher with an organic fertilizer amendment than Superphosphate, particularly in combination with barley. Arsenic accumulated in plant biomass to 126 mg kg⁻¹ in shoots and 469 mg kg⁻¹ in roots.

Tailings from the Macraes mine, southern New Zealand, are prone to wind erosion. Use of a vegetation cover for physical stabilization is one potential solution to this environmental problem. This study used field trials contained in lysimeters to 1), test the ability of different plant species to grow in un/amended tailings and 2), provide background information on the nutrient and chemical content of waters in tailings. Barley (Hordeum vulgare), blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius), and rye corn (Secale cereale) were trialed, using Superphosphate fertilizer and sewage sludge as amendments. Rye corn grew well in fertilizer-amended tailings, but poorly in unamended tailings; barley growth was similar in amended and unamended tailings; blue lupins grew poorly overall. The tailings had alkaline pH (7–8.5) and water rapidly (<1 mo) interacted with the tailings to become strongly saline. Minor acid generation was neutralized by calcite, with associated release of calcium and carbonate ions. Leachate waters were supersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite. Dissolved sodium concentrations were up to 1000 mg L⁻¹, but elevated Ca²⁺ calcium and Mg²⁺ ensured that sodicity was lower than plant-toxic levels. Rye corn is a potentially useful plant for rapid phytostabilization of tailings, with only minor phosphate amendment required.