Treatment of mining acidic leachates with indigenous limestone, Zimapan Mexico

► Suitability of native limestones for an acid mine drainage passive treatment system was evaluated. ► Rock dissolution was studied by kinetic batch experiments of H+ decrease in a Fe-rich acid media. ► The limestone with the highest kinetic constant removed more than 98% As from leachates. ► Chamosite, identified by XRD may participate in the removal of Al, SiO2 and a fraction of Fe. ► IR and SEM-EDS showed that As removal was mainly from co-precipitation with Fe-hydroxides.