Mineral Exploitation Research Articles

Metal(oid)s in plastic debris, with distinct features, from Spanish Mediterranean beaches with different anthropogenic pressure: Are these particles potential monitors for metal pollution?

Metal(oid)s concentrations have been quantified in plastic pieces collected from four beaches located in the Mediterranean coast of Spain with different characteristics (i.e. anthropogenic pressure, zone). Metal(oid)s content was also related to selected plastic criteria (i.e. color, degradation status, polymer). The selected elements were quantified with mean concentrations in the sampled plastics with the following order: Fe > Mg > Zn > Mn > Pb > Sr > As > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd > Co. Moreover, black, brown, PUR, PS, and coastal line plastics concentrated the higher metal(oid)s levels. Local of sampling (influence of mining exploitation) and severe degradation were key factors for uptake of metal(oid)s from water by plastics as modification of surfaces strengths their adsorption capacity. Determined high levels of Fe, Pb and Zn in plastics reflected the pollution degree of the marine areas. Therefore, this study is a contribution for the potential use of plastics as pollution monitors.

About this title - The Green Stone Age: Exploration and Exploitation of Minerals for Green Technologies

Metals and minerals are essential for improving the quality of our lives, for new green energy technologies, and for a sustainable environment. This book addresses challenges in meeting the future demand for metals and minerals and presents results from ongoing research, surveying, exploration and exploitation of key minerals needed to supply the green and sustainable societies of the future.

Ecological Risk Assessment and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in Mineral Resource Base Based on Soil Parent Materials

Mineral resource bases have dual properties, e.g., mineral resources and environmental pollution. The latter could be classified into natural and anthropogenic pollution based on identifying the spatial distribution characteristics and sources of heavy metals in the soil. The Hongqi vanadium titano-magnetite mineral resources base in Luanping County, Luanhe watershed, was taken as the research object. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo), Nemerow comprehensive pollution index (PN), and potential ecological risk (Ei) were utilized to assess the soil heavy metal pollution characteristics, and redundancy analysis (RDA) and positive determinate matrix factorization (PMF) were employed to identify sources of the soil heavy metals. The results revealed that the mean contents of Cr, Cu, and Ni in the parent material of medium-basic hornblende metamorphic rock and medium-basic gneisses metamorphic rock were 1-2 times that in other parent materials in the concentrated area of mineral resources. However, the mean contents of Pb and As were lower. Fluvial alluvial-proluvial parent materials had the highest mean content of Hg, and the mean content of Cd was higher in the parent materials of medium-basic gneisses metamorphic rocks, acid rhyolite volcanic rocks, and fluvial alluvial-proluvial facies. The Igeodecreased in the following order:Cd>Cu>Pb>Ni>Zn>Cr>Hg>As. PN ranged from 0.61 to 18.99, and the sample proportion of moderate and severe pollution reached 10.00% and 8.08% respectively. Pishowed that the contents of Cu, Cd, Cr, and Ni were relatively higher in the parent material of intermediate-basic hornblende metamorphic rocks and intermediate-basic gneiss metamorphic rocks. Ei decreased in the order of Hg(58.06)>Cd(39.72)>As(10.98)>Cu(6.56) >Pb(5.60)>Ni(5.43)>Cr(2.01)>Zn(1.10). Samples whose RI was lower than 150 accounted for 84.27%, showing that the research area was predominantly at a slight potential ecological risk level. The sources of soil heavy metals were dominated by parent material weathering, followed by the mixed sources of agricultural activities and transportation, the exploitation of mining, and fossil burning, which accounted for 41.44%, 31.83%, 22.01%, and 4.73%, respectively. The risks of heavy metal pollution in the mineral resource base were characterized as multi-source instead of the single source from the mining industry. These research results provide the scientific basis for regional green mining development and eco-environmental protection.

Recuperación medioambiental del lago minero de As Pontes

One of the most common solutions for more than 50 years for the recovery of mine holes generated during mining activities is their transformation into lakes. This paper presents the activities carried out from the closure of the As Pontes mine to the total filling of the mining lake. The environmental solution adopted for the recovery of the mining hole and its transformation into a mining lake is described, as well as the methodology followed for its filling, defining the water sources used, its volume and its chemical quality. Perfect mix and stratified lake models were performed to simulate the final chemical quality of the lake. The details of the studies carried out on waves on the shores of the lake and the stability of the slopes of the mine are also presented. The hydraulic works carried out to reintegrate into the lake the watercourses that were diverted during the mining exploitation are also indicated. Water chemical data of the As Pontes lake collected during and after the filling of the lake show the presence of two well-differentiated zones separated by a chemocline. The uppermost layer has a slightly acid pH and oxic conditions, while the deeper layer has very low pH values and anoxic conditions. The methodology used was successful and the forecasts made are in line with the results obtained both in relation to the filling time of the lake and the quality of the overflow waters, which comply with all the established limits.

Research progress and visualization of underground coal fire detection methods.

Underground coal fires are a widespread disaster prevailing in major coal-producing countries globally, posing serious threats to the ecological environment and restricting the safe exploitation of coal mines. The accuracy of underground coal fire detection directly affects the effectiveness of fire control engineering. In this study, we searched 426 articles from the Web of Science database within 2002-2022 as the data foundation and visualized the research contents of the underground coal fire field using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The results reveal that the investigation of "underground coal fire detection techniques" is currently the focal area of research in this field. Additionally, the "underground coal fire multi-information fusion inversion detection methods" are considered to be the future research trend. Moreover, we reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of various single-indicator inversion detection methods, including the temperature method, gas and radon method, natural potential method, magnetic method, electric method, remote sensing, and geological radar method. Furthermore, we conducted an analysis of the advantages of the multi-information fusion inversion detection methods, which possesses high precision and wide applicability for detecting coal fires, while highlighting the challenges in handling diverse data sources. It is our hope that the research results presented in this paper will provide valuable insights and ideas for researchers involved in the detection and practical research of underground coal fires.

Research on the Long-Term Sustainability of a Transition Towards Private Electric Vehicles

In recent years, a conflict has arisen between the urgency of fixing climate change and the reliance on cars as the primary mode of transportation. Electric vehicles have the potential to satisfy both conditions. With the accelerating growth in the EV market, it would seem as if they will soon become the future of transportation. Before a complete transition is made to EVs, it is necessary to assess the true sustainability of an EV. Due to the massive scale of the change in transportation, consequences for mistakes are significantly amplified. This paper sets out to research and evaluate EVs' sustainability compared to fossil-fule vehicles. Contrary to popular belief, EVs are nowhere near as beneficial to the environment as people had hoped. First, the concept of privately owned vehicles is unsustainable. In addition, EVs may emit more pollution than the fossil-fule vehicle. The exploitation of rare earth minerals is also causing heavy environmental damage while involving child labor. Despite this, if the issues are recognized and acted upon, it is reasonable to believe EVs still have the potential to act as a stepping stone to sustainable transportation for all.

Explanatory model of the psychosocial variables related to the social acceptance of a uranium mine project in northwest Spain.

The demographic growth and the development of the welfare system have been accompanied by an important social dilemma between preserving nature or promoting energy development by assuming the benefits and risks of both proposals. This research attempts to address this social dilemma by analyzing the psychosocial factors that influence the acceptance or rejection of a new uranium mining development and exploitation project. The main objective was to test an explanatory theoretical model of uranium mining project acceptance, based on the interrelation of sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, gender, economic and educational situation, and level of knowledge about uranium energy) and cognitive variables (e.g., environmental beliefs, risk, and benefit perceptions), along with the activation of an emotional balance in response to the proposal of constructing a uranium mine. Three hundred seventy-one individuals responded to the questionnaire about the variables included in the model. The results showed that older participants showed lower levels of agreement with the mining proposal people, while women and those with greater knowledge of nuclear energy perceived greater risks and had a more negative emotional balance. The proposed explanatory model based on sociodemographic, cognitive, and affective variables showed good fit indices for explaining the assessment of the uranium mine. Thus, age, level of knowledge, risks and benefits, and emotional balance had a direct effect on the acceptance of the mine. Likewise, emotional balance showed a partial mediation effect between the relationships existing between the perception of benefits and risks and the acceptance of the mining proposal. The results are discussed based on the consideration of analyzing sociodemographic, cognitive, and affective variables to understand potential conflicts in communities affected by energy projects.

Deep TDEM Study for Structural and Mining Purposes: A Case Study of the Barbastro Saline-Evaporitic Formation, Spain

The objective of this study was to obtain the deep subsurface structure of a saline-evaporitic formation affected by an anticlinal structure, defining the position and thickness for its future exploitation (potassium salts). To improve this knowledge, geophysical methods can be applied to establish detailed information on geological structures at depth. This work analyzes the results of a deep time domain electromagnetic (TDEM) survey acquired over the southern flank of the Barbastro-Balaguer Anticline present in the Ebro Basin in the vicinity of Graus (Huesca, Spain), that controls the geometry of the Barbastro saline-evaporitic formation, of interest from the mining point of view. A deep time domain electromagnetic system (TDEM) is used, providing a penetration capability down to 3.0 km depth. A parametric constrained inversion over a lithological known borehole (Monzón-1) is used to obtain a resistivity model and then applied to the rest of the survey points. The applied methodology contributes to improving the geological knowledge, revealing a new detailed geological structure of the Barbastro saline-evaporitic formation affected by the Barbastro-Balaguer Anticline. The survey shows that the Barbastro saline-evaporitic formation presents a structure with a ramp hanging wall and close to flat footwall, generally dipping to the SW, with a decreasing thickness from 1103 m to 601 m, in concordance with the previous accepted geological structural model. The new geophysical study provides essential data, allowing design and drilling optimization in future mining exploitations.

Prediction of the pore structure by machine learning techniques in the carbonate reservoirs in Iraq H oilfield

Pore structure impacts the capability of seepage pattern of subsurface fluid mineral and mineral exploitation efficiency. Because of the strong heterogeneity in carbonate reservoirs, the pore structure is nonlinearly varying and complex in reservoirs. It is necessary to establish a method for pore structure type (PST) prediction. Machine learning provides an efficient prediction method by finding the relationship between core test data and well‐logging data. In this paper, a reservoir identification method based on Gradient Boost Decision Trees (GBDT) is proposed for the pore structure characteristics of carbonate reservoirs integrating core test and logging data. Core testing data are utilized to form the training set for PST prediction. Then, we adopt the mutual information method to optimize the logging data as the input of the machine learning model. GBDT hyperparameters are optimized using the learning curve to make it have optimal performance. Finally, we compare the predicted result of GBDT with K‐Nearest Neighbor and support vector machines, demonstrating the superior performance of GBDT. The results indicate that the four PS are different in some properties, such as permeability, pore radius and shape of pore and throat. 20%, 10 and 0.15 are recommended as the optimal parameter values for Maximum feature, iteration number and Sub‐sample number to improve GBDT accuracy in carbonate reservoir PST prediction. Evaluation indicators of machine learning, including the Kappa coefficient, Heming distance, Jaccard similarity coefficient and Confusion matrices, indicate that GBDT has better performance. This research proves the high accuracy and applicability of machine learning technology in the carbonate reservoir and also provides a meaningful reference for the identification of the carbonate reservoirs in the central area of Iraq.

Entering the Green Stone Age – introduction

Abstract The present special publication addresses opportunities and challenges in meeting the demand for essential and critical metals and minerals needed to supply the green and sustainable societies of the future. The notion of criticality in different countries is discussed and examples of ongoing national and cross-country research and mapping programmes are presented. In addition to the resource/reserve and technical–economic aspects, the social and environmental dimensions are also elaborated in some of the contributions, as holistic approaches to the exploration and exploitation of critical minerals and materials are needed to fulfill the green transition and goals for the Green Stone Age.

Assessment of Corrosion Phenomena of Hydromechanical Fittings and Elements of Excavation Support Under the Conditions of Active Mine Exploitation

Assessment of Corrosion Phenomena of Hydromechanical Fittings and Elements of Excavation Support Under the Conditions of Active Mine Exploitation

Women and Mining in Zambia: Opportunities and Challenges

The rise of urbanisation in colonial Zambia particularly on the Copperbelt province is associated with the discovery of minerals in the early 1900s. The widespread discovery of minerals and exploitation of the same minerals required labour both skilled and unskilled labour. Skilled labour was drawn from overseas while unskilled labour was available from the local population. During the colonial period, the predominant labour force on the mines were men while women were by law were not allowed to enter towns during the early years of urbanization or to take residence in urban areas anywhere in the country. Early researchers commented that early African migration to mine towns essentialised as men’s wage work, depended on agricultural and reproductive labour performed by women, who officially remained in rural areas. Local labour migrations were highly restricted and employment of women in urban areas was scarce or none existent in the initial stages of urbanisation.
 Skilled and none skilled labour for women employees on the mines initially did not exist in the colonial period because they (women) were not viewed as important labourers needed for production in the mines. This restriction of women in urban areas created a legacy of gender inequalities in almost all the sectors of labour employment and more so in the mining sector during the colonial period. Consequently, one can argue that since the colonial period to date, women have been a minority group in the mines occupying low positions in their majority compared to men and very few women hold executive positions in the mining sector.
 Employment during the colonial period was not easily found due to clear discrimination. The end result of this type of discrimination in employment resulted in few or no women at all in some instances in the mines. With passage of time, women were allowed into towns and on the mines but formal jobs for women were difficult to find. The current state of gender inequalities in the mines in Zambia today is a carryover from the colonial period. Currently, training institutions for mine workers such as universities, colleges and technical institute are still dominated by male students.
 The above situation eventually results into a gendered labour force in the mines with men occupying highly skilled jobs while women dominate the low skilled and non-skilled jobs in mining conglomerates. The current gender inequalities on the mines are historically embedded in the mines as patriarchal institutions owned and ran by the same men. Consequently, very few women are in the executive positions in mines and even very few do own mines.

Toxicological risk in individuals exposed to methylmercury and total mercury through daily-consumed foodstuffs in one of the mining regions of Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia

Mercury (Hg), and its different chemical forms, such as methylmercury (MeHg), are highly toxic compounds that affect the environment as well as human and animal health. Specifically, mining practices may cause these metals to be present in water, air, soil, and food. This study examines the concentration levels of Hg and MeHg in locally-consumed foodstuffs, including fish, pork, chicken, yam, plantain, and cassava, in a specific region of Antioquia (Colombia) by assessing the toxicological risk to the population due to the exploitation of open-pit alluvial mining in the area. Among foods examined, the highest amount of Hg was found in fish > pork > chicken > cassava > plantain > yam (ranging from 207.87 to 0.23 μg/g). Conversely, MeHg was identified in cassava > fish > plantain > chicken > yam > pork in amounts ranging from 1.567 to 0.434 μg/g. The risk exposure factors of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for Hg and MeHg exhibited a trend similar to the amount of metal in the assessed foods. This work contributed to characterizing and preventing public health problems in a mining population in the Bajo Cauca region of Antioquia, which requires special attention due to their potential exposure to Hg and MeHg through the most locally consumed foods.

Applying the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to Exploring and Managing Sand and Gravel Mining in Nghe An Province for the Aim of Sustainable Development (A Case Study of Tan Ky District, Nghe An Province)

Nghe An has a large mineral reserve of sand and gravel due to its dense river system with a high amount of silt and sedimentation, which represents an opportunity for the construction materials business to contribute to the local economy's growth. However, the management of mineral exploitation currently has some shortcomings, such as limitations in business licensing, environmental pollution, and lack of transparency in revenue management,... This has not only hindered the ecological, socio-economic development of the locality over the past years, but also negatively affected the health and well-being of people living in mining areas and surrounding areas. The article will examine the situation of sand and gravel mining in Nghe An province (a case study of Tan Ky district) and propose the application of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) standards to this activity. The application of this set of criteria will assist the locality in effectively managing sand and gravel mining activities, ensuring a stable socio-ecological environment, and assisting in the long-term and sustainable exploitation of sand and gravel.
 Keywords: Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Sand and gravel mining, Sand and gravel mining management, Sustainable development. 
 

Porous Morphology Eco-Efficiency Design Process of a Selected Masterpiece Building and its prospects on the Environment

The characteristic of urbanization, modernization and it effect on the environment has become a disastrous event especially towards the beginning of 20th Century (C). Researches have shown an excessive exploitation of minerals both on and beneath the earth crust were consume every year for the purpose of construction alone. Thus, not only decrease in volume of earth materials but also the impact on environmental thus need attentions. This study observes that the conversion of material; exploitation; energy used during construction; energy associated with heating; cooling; lighting and ventilating commercial buildings have potential consequence on the environment. A selected study of masterpiece building with philosophy of porous structure, which certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in Nigeria, was reviewed. Finding indicate that conceptual design from the school of thought help in setting reasonable objectives at the designing process stage. Also, energy efficient building will reduce wastage of earth materials with alternate source of natural energy, application of natural element other than artificial during building construction and occupancy stage are mitigation strategies to negate aforementioned effect on the environment. Conceptual frameworks with composite notions from various domains were explored to include concept of porosity from medicine among others was utilized, acceptable for maximum lighting, cross ventilation and circulations. Hence, energy efficiency was achieved which is friendly to the environment.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine. Sustainable Tourism Developments in an Early Industrial Landscape

SummaryIwami Ginzan Silver Mine is located in Shimane Prefecture, Western Japan, and consists of urban and mining areas. The historic town, Ōmori, developed in the early modern period (1573–1868) in conjunction with the exploitation of the silver mine. The archaeological remains comprise mine shafts, tunnels and workshops, located in a forested mountainous landscape. Although ideal for hiking or trekking, the area slopes upward within a narrow valley making the whole area difficult to access for satisfactory and inclusive sightseeing. The significant increase in visitors that followed the inscription of this area onto the World Heritage List (2007), was short-term but exacerbated the issue. After some trials and errors, a sustainable, effective and safe solution for access to the site for both inhabitants and visitors is now underway, taking advantage of a newly established governmental grant scheme for “green slow mobility” linked to the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.© The Author 2023

Theoretical and Experimental Flow Characteristics of a Large-Scale Annular Channel in Terms of Deformation Gradient, Eccentricity, and Water Compressibility

Hydraulic water plunger pumps have come to be widely used in coal mining, seawater desalination, and oil exploitation due to their high output pressure and large flow characteristics. In a high-pressure large-flow plunger pump, the leakage of the annular channel of the plunger pair is an essential factor affecting volume efficiency. The axial pressure gradient exists in the fluid inside the annular channel, resulting in the plunger and plunger sleeve forming similar funnel-like shapes. Moreover, the characteristics of large diameter, high working pressure, and low fluid viscosity of the plunger pump will lead to the complicated flow of the annular channel. The influence of eccentricity and structural deformation on leakage is difficult to evaluate. Therefore, considering the deformation gradient and eccentricity of the plunger pair and the compressibility of the water, the deformation equations and leakage equations of the annular channel under the laminar and turbulent flow state are derived in this study. The eccentricity and leakage of the annular channel under different pressure conditions are measured using a built sealing test bench. It is proved that the discrepancy between the calculated model and the experimental results is less than 6% under different pressures, which effectively predicts the sealing performance of plunger pumps. The results show that under the laminar flow condition, the effects of eccentricity, structural deformation, and medium compressibility on leakage are 148%, 4.92%, and 0.92%, respectively. In turbulent conditions, they were 31%, 2.84%, and 1.19%, respectively. Besides, the reasonable material pairing of the plunger friction pair can reduce the variation of leakage due to structural deformation.

City-Level CH4 Emissions from Anthropogenic Sources and Its Environmental Behaviors in China’s Cold Cities

Distinguished features of cities influence the characteristics of CH4 emissions. A city-level emission inventory represents the characteristics of CH4 on a smaller scale, according to the special factors in each city. A city-level emission inventory was established to reveal the characteristics and source profile of CH4 emissions in the coldest province, which is a typical provincial cold region in northeast China. The dominant sources were identified for targeted cities. Rice cultivation, coal mining, oil and gas exploitation, and livestock are the dominant emission sectors. Emissions from other sectors, including wastewater disposal, biomass burning, landfill, etc. were also estimated. The provincial CH4 emissions increased gradually from 2003 to 2012, up to 2993.26 Gg with an annual increase rate of 2.85%; the emissions were 2740.63 in 2020. The emissions of CH4 in Harbin, Daqing, Jiamusi, and Hegang cities were higher than in the other nine cities, which were 337.23 Gg, 330.01 Gg, 328.55 Gg, and 307.42 Gg in 2020, respectively. Agriculture, including the rice cultivation, livestock, and biomass burning sectors contributed to 51.24–62.12% of total emissions, and the contributions increased gradually. Coal mining, oil and gas exploration, and fossil fuel combustion are energy-related sources, which contributed up to 37.91% of the total emissions, and the proportion kept decreasing to 23.87% in 2020. Furthermore, meteorological factors are especially relevant to the region, by which the differences of ambient temperature are over 60 °C (±30 °C). In the summer, CH4 emissions from the rice cultivation, biomass burning, livestock, and landfill sectors are obviously distinct from the heating period (winter), while few differences in CH4 emissions are found from wastewater disposal and the fossil fuel production sectors.

Industrialization of Mining Waste and Energy in the Circular Economy

Abstract In the field of underground and surface mining, offshore and onshore exploitation, hydrocarbon distribution, associations of circularity activities are required taking into account the protection of the environment, the safety and security of people, deposits and objectives in the specific productive infrastructures, as well as the responsibility in the regulatory/legislative framework assumed by directives, laws, rules and norms. The circular economy implies the transition to an eco-industry based on reducing the consumption of energy and raw materials, in which mining waste, municipal waste (in fact, all categories of waste, including hazardous waste) have destinations established from the design phases, being included in the cyclical spiral of reuse. The authors emphasize that in this framework, the waste/residues that appear in an exploitation/manufacturing process represent raw materials for other processes. The article deals with aspects related to the technological and managerial consistency in the problem of waste, Refuse-Derived Fuel, co-processing of waste in cement factories, the industrialization of waste for RDF through mechanical, biological treatment and advances the investment proposal of Unit for Advanced Energo-Thermal Treatment of Waste. It is concluded that regarding the industrialization of mining waste and energy in the circular economy, roadmaps are needed for the introduction and development of waste management / (Roadmap to Improve Waste Management) in Romania and other interested countries.

Ecological and environmental impacts of mineral exploitation in urban agglomerations

The rapid development of the energy and mining industry has supported the industrialization process in China, but it has also caused a series of negative impacts on the ecological environment. As a resource concentration and regional development pivot, evaluating the impact of mineral exploitation on the ecological environment under the scope of urban agglomeration can efficiently mitigate the contradiction between mineral exploitation and ecological environment protection. Therefore, this paper chose 14 urban agglomerations under the nationally planned mining areas as the research object. This paper analyzed the characteristics and spatial distribution of ecological stress in mineral exploitation from multi-aspects, including the ecological base's vulnerability, ecological function, and the stress degree of critical environmental factors. The results of the study show as follows: (1) The distribution of the vulnerability of the ecological base is highly spatial correlated, the Yellow river basin and Yangtze-river basin are clustered with high ecological base vulnerability and low vulnerability urban agglomerations respectively; (2) More than half of the urban agglomerations are stressed by ecological functions, the threats were mainly coming from the water and land resources; (3) Highly stressed cities concentrated in the Yellow-river and Yangtze-river basins, with strong geographical concentration, the impact of mineral exploitation on the ecosystem is profound than water and air environment. (4) Comprehensive stress was the most common type for mineral cities, typically clustered in urban agglomerations with sufficient mineral resources or heavy soil and water loss, presented as a centralized distribution pattern in general. In the end, based on the results, this paper proposed three different control advice for spatial, intensity, and exploitation, respectively, to provide theoretical support and practical solutions for controlling mineral exploitations in urban agglomerations.