Assessment and abatement of the eco-risk caused by mine spoils in the dry subtropical climate

Alexey V Alekseenko,Jaume Bech,Carsten Drebenstedt

doi:10.1007/s10653-021-00885-3

Abstract

The highly rugged mountainous land topography of the Novorossiysk industrial agglomeration (NW Caucasus, Krasnodar Krai, Russia) and arid climate limit the restoration abilities of disturbed mine lands. Abandoned waste-rock dumps of a marl quarry occupy an area of ca. 150,000 m2 next to the cement plant, residential districts, and a commercial seaport. To assess the eco-risk, topsoil horizons of urban and mine-site Technosols and background Rendzinas were sampled and analyzed; measurements of particulate matter fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4, and PM10 were conducted throughout the agglomeration. Fugitive dust emission from the unreclaimed marl dumps raises the PM2.5 content in the air by a factor of 2.68 on average. The high sorption capacity of the fine eluvium results in the accumulation of urban emissions by the dust and contributes to the subsequent soil pollution; the Cumulative Pollution Index of pedochemical anomalies reaches the high-risk level over the areas of up to 5 km2. Environmental threats caused by the mine dumps can be assessed more reliably by means of land zoning based on accumulated environmental damage indicators and the debris flow and waterspout risk calculation. To abate the technogenic impact caused by the mine spoils, reclamation actions must be taken including soil stabilization on sensitive sites by application of geosynthetic cover, hydroseeding of the mixture of soil improvers and seeds of herbaceous plants on the slopes, and anti-erosion plantation of cades (Juniperus oxycedrus L.) and smoke trees (Cotinus coggygria Scop.) at subhorizontal surfaces.

Highlights

Disturbance and reclamation of a mining landscapeThe mining industry significantly affects the environment due to pollution of air, soil, and surface and groundwater, landscape degradation, and damage to biodiversity, leading to economic damage (Opekunova et al, 2020; Rikhvanov et al, 2013; Sheoran et al, 2008; Timofeev et al, 2020)
We found that the mine soils pose an environmental threat being a source of dust and an unstable mine-waste storage site, sensitive to debris flows
The calculated cost of the risk damage takes into account estimates on debris flow probability per year and damage inflicted by emergency events, not the absolute damage

Summary

Introduction

The mining industry significantly affects the environment due to pollution of air, soil, and surface and groundwater, landscape degradation, and damage to biodiversity, leading to economic damage (Opekunova et al, 2020; Rikhvanov et al, 2013; Sheoran et al, 2008; Timofeev et al, 2020). Residuals of extraction and processing of building materials are among the most capable of migration due to the high content of fine particles and lack of reclamation actions in dump-site areas (Nevskaya et al, 2019). The atmospheric environment and geomorphological conditions contribute to the formation of debris flows They are destructive if excessive rainfalls and tornadoes contribute to their formation. Having much in common with the inundation aftermath, but often to a much greater extent, debris flows transform the geochemical patterns of soils and, in particular, the content of metals

Methods

Results

Conclusion