Mine Spoil Research Articles

Bioextraction of Magnesium as Plant Minerals from Magnesite Mine Wastes Collected from Salem District of Tamil Nadu, India

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential macronutrient that can be obtained through mineralization of mine spoils. The leftover mine spoils of magnesite mines still contain a reliable amount of Mg in it. The Mg present in raw magnesite spoils is in its carbonate form and hence it has to be mineralized to convert it into plant available soluble forms of Mg. The effect of B. cereus and B. stercoris in the mineralization of Mg has been studied in synthetic mineral salts medium (MSM). To obtain maximum mineralization results it is important to know the optimal conditions of the organisms under which they can grow and produce more Mg. The mineralizing capability of the individual organisms and their combined effect as a consortium under various concentrations of carbon source, pH, temperature and soil organic matter has been studied. It has been seen that the organisms grow and mineralize better when 1% of glucose has been supplemented as carbon source. The optimal pH and temperature were found to be pH 7 and 35°C, respectively. The addition of anthraquinone-2-sulphonic acid (ADQS) as soil organic matter enhances the mineralization Mg in synthetic medium. Rendering to SEM and EDX analysis, the mineralization of Mg in the synthetic medium was established.

Chitosan in the treatment of mine spoil rainwater - An approach to protect the aquatic biota

The mining industry suppresses vegetation, exposing large soil areas in its ordinary operation. Water pollution and turbidity are caused by the carrying of solids, mainly colloidal particles, to the watercourses due to the effect of rainfall events. Therefore, the discharge of those effluents will lead to failure with watercourse quality parameters. Thus, there is a need to treat drainages (rainwaters) from the mining industry. However, using common coagulants and flocculants can result in acute or chronic ecotoxicity for aquatic biota. In this scenario, this research aimed to evaluate using a natural coagulant, the biopolymer Chitosan, to remove turbidity from mining industry spoiled water through bio-coagulation. The ecotoxicity of the natural coagulant was compared to the commonly used coagulants. For this purpose, we used synthetic rainwater (SRW) from the dispersion of fine (colloidal) particles in natural waters. Materials (water and soil) were collected in the mining area's sumps (sedimentation basins). The turbidity of the produced SRW ranged from between 500 and 4000 NTU. Jar Tests using Chitosan (CTS), polyaluminum chloride (PAC®12), and Superfloc®N100 variable doses were carried out to compare the effects of the coagulating/flocculating agents on the SRW turbidity reduction. The obtained results demonstrated the efficiency of CHS on turbidity reduction. The results were encouraging for low turbidity samples (<1000 NTU), making it possible to meet the limit parameters recommended by the Brazilian legislation. In addition, it was possible to conclude both CHS and the effluents treated with this coagulant have lower toxicity to aquatic biota than the combination of PAC®12 and Superfloc®N100.

Possibility of spatial estimation of soil erosion using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model and generalized additive model in post‐hard coal mining spoil heap

AbstractRevegetation and plant cover establishment on coal mining heap areas are effective methods for reducing runoff and soil erosion. They are essential components for reestablishing ecosystems in ecologically vulnerable areas. Our study area covered the Upper Silesia coal region. The research focused on active and passive reclamation plots of the study area with different land covers, that is, woodland, grassland, forbland, and control plots. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial allotment of soil erosion in various reclamation techniques and land covers of a mining area using a combination of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, geographic information systems, and regression modeling with generalized additive models. We demonstrated that the combination of different data analysis methods can be used to accurately predict soil degradation, even if not all factors used in the RUSLE model are wall‐to‐wall available. However, only sheet and rill erosions can be predicted using this model. The results demonstrated the spread of soil erosion over the post‐coal mining heaps, varying from 0.03 Mg/ha/year to 583.47 Mg/ha/year. The highest soil erosion rate was observed at the control site (bare rock without vegetation). Approximately 62.6% of the region remained in the safe zone, whereas approximately 1.4% of the area was classified as a very severe zone for erosion.

Monitoring Reclamation of Plant Biodiversity and Soil Parameters in an Area of Bauxite Mine Spoils (A Case Study of Greece)

In order to assess plant biodiversity in bauxite mine spoils, a fully randomized experiment was carried out with five treatments to find the ones that would best restore the soil and plant biodiversity in the spring seasons of 2020 and 2021. In the studied area, 68 plant species belonging to 54 genera with high ecological value that comprise the flora and represent 19 families were identified. Concerning the herbaceous plant species richness in several treatments, the highest value was calculated in the treatment of sludge (52 plant species), followed by the treatment of soil in the area (39), whereas the lowest plant species richness was recorded in the treatment of fertilization (27), the incorporation of soil with soils (26), and control (27), so our findings indicate that the area where sludge was applied showed the highest nutrient enrichment as well as the highest plant biodiversity, plant cover, and biomass. Apart from sludge, the mineral soil around the area was also composed of some materials that provided good results with regard to plant parameters. The main problems with the properties of the mine spoil material were the low organic matter content and the low clay percentage. The use of sludge, probably in combination with the soil around the area, might alleviate these problems. The plant parameters (Shannon diversity index, plant cover, and biomass) correlated positively and significantly with most of the macronutrients and micronutrients in soils.

Soil Quality in Rehabilitated Coal Mining Areas

In arid and semiarid environments, the sustainability of rehabilitation actions in degraded areas is a matter of concern. It has not been extensively researched. In a Spanish coal mining area, new soils to support vegetation were created (Technosols) using mine spoils and different organic wastes. Eight years after the establishment of rehabilitation measures, the quality of the works was assessed. Soil properties (organic matter, microbial biomass, structural stability and porosity) were evaluated as quality indicators. Thermogravimetric analysis differentiated between organic-C and other mineral-C sources. The degree of aggregation and the presence of interconnected pores and organic matter with different degrees of decomposition were identified by micromorphological techniques. Microbial biomass and water-stable aggregates satisfactorily traced the early pedogenesis of mine spoils, resulting in good indicators of the quality of new Technosols. Substrates prepared with sludges promoted soil development better than those created using pig slurries, primarily by favoring a higher porosity and organic matter content. Despite that, both treatments demonstrated, after 8 years, their ability to support the ecosystem services of biomass production, carbon sequestration, and organic matter recycling they were planned for, therefore ensuring their sustainability.

Does association with N-fixing nurse trees improve carbon sequestration in walnut plantations? Case-study on a reclaimed opencast mine in Italy

Mining activities have a major impact on the environment, depressing several ecosystem services. Afforestation is an efficient approach to recovering abandoned mining areas. This paper aims to assess the suitability of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) for planting on mine spoil banks for wood production, hydrogeological protection, and climate change mitigation. The paper also examines if associating walnut with a nitrogen-fixing species, such as Italian alder (Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby) or black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), is advantageous compared to monoculture for the mentioned objectives. For this purpose, contiguous stands of pure walnut and walnut intercropped with one of the two nitrogen-fixing species were studied. The stands had been growing for 34 years on the spoil banks of a lignite mine in central Italy that was abandoned in the 1980s.Overall, walnut in monoculture showed good performances on the infertile substrate, in terms of both growth and stored carbon. On average, in fact, walnut showed a mean height of 16.2 m and a woody volume of 70.1 m3/ha, and had stored 16.5 Mg C/ha between above and below ground. However, walnut significantly benefited from the association with Italian alder, which stimulated the early growth of walnut (up to 15 years) and improved the commercial quality of woody assortments. At the current age, walnut showed significant differences in diameter at breast height (DBH, 44.6%) and total height (H, 17.9%) between the stand where it was originally interspersed with 75% Italian alder and the stand where it grew in monoculture. Alder did not improve soil carbon sequestration, while black locust showed a greater soil improving capacity than alder when associated with walnut, both in terms of organic matter enrichment and bulk density decrease. However, black locust impressive growth rate and strength in chasing suckers induced high walnut mortality. Our results demonstrated that Italian alder is to be preferred to black locust as a nitrogen-fixing species to be associated with walnut, at least in the pedoclimatic and environmental conditions we dealt with.

Heavy Metals in Soil and Plants During Revegetation of Coal Mine Spoil Tips and Surrounded Territories

Heavy Metals in Soil and Plants During Revegetation of Coal Mine Spoil Tips and Surrounded Territories

Functions of microarthropods in reclaimed mines spoil: A case study of Kathara Coalfield area of Jharkhand,India

Reclaimed mines spoil (RMS) is the byproduct of open-cast mining and an ecological footprint under twin stresses namely, anthropogenic and natural. The present paper measures the stresses in reclaimed coal mine spoils and has two sections – the first dealing with the experiments and their results, while the second section derives an ecological model from the experiment. An experiment was carried out (experimental years, 2006 – 2008) in reclaimed coal mine spoils (RMS) of Jharkhand. Four RMSs of different chrono sequences of plantations on the overburden dumps (OBD) were considered for the study. Data on soil arthropods along with other physical parameters were collected from a 1meter x 1meter grid of quadrate periodically. It was observed that the Shannon diversity index of younger RMS was higher than the 15- and 30-year-old RMS. Old age sites and forests had a higher Diversity Index. Simpson’s index was 0.0877, 0.889, 0.869, and 0.887 in four RMS sites, and 0.885, and 0.917 in the forest. Organisms in degraded systems are initially rudrals – create a functional system and establish as K-select species. It was observed that the system has stresses – homeostatic processes that keep a system in its original state, and other forces – resilience pulls them out of the status quo but in reclaimed mine spoils an additional force anthropogenic activities work synergistically with the forces of resilience that push the system towards non-equilibrium, which is critical for succession and ecesis. Based on findings and functional stresses in the system an ecological model was developed for ecesis that is operative in the system.

Bio-transfer and bioaccumulation patterns of heavy metals in mine site-inhabiting ants and grasshoppers, across mine site restoration chronosequence.

Soil is known to serve as a significant sink for heavy metals in coal mine sites, thus also influence the plant and other organisms of that area. Hence, the presence of heavy metals in coal mine soil is of concern to land managers. Insects occupy different trophic positions in the food chains, thus many insect species accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in their bodies and this is a matter of concern. In the present study, we investigated biotransfer and bioaccumulation of heavy metals from soil, grass species Cynodon dactylon, Vetiveria zizanioides, grasshopper species Gastrimargus africanus, Choroedocus robustus, ant species Cataglyphis longipedem and Camponotus compressus in six different ages (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 year old) of coal mine sites. Our study revealed that at some extent the heavy metal content and BAF patterns of heavy metals along different pathways (from soil to grass, soil to grasshoppers and from grass to grasshoppers) were not consistent and did not reflect the soil pollution status for all the metals, related to the mine spoil dump age. However, in contrast, ants successfully reflected a consistent pattern in the bioaccumulation of heavy metals via soil, thereby indicating the pollution status of the soil along with the restoration age of mine spoil dumps. Our study showed that ant species can successfully forecast the presence of heavy metals of coal mine spoils along with their restoration.

Changes in microbial community structure during the biooxidation of iron and inorganic/organic sulfur provide prediction of acid mine drainage from coal spoil

To thoroughly investigate the formation mechanism of acid mine drainage (AMD) from coal mine spoil, this study conducted microbial shake flask experiments on gangue possessing inorganic and organic sulfur to predict the future generation of AMD. The results revealed that microbial-mediated sulfur oxidation effectively lowered the pH of leachate and increased metal ion and sulfate concentrations. The oxidation of pyrite sulfur and thiophene sulfur contributed to 70 % and 30 % of the total acid production, respectively, highlighting the importance of both processes in coal mine acidification. The abundance and diversity of the microbial community increased, with “new” iron and sulfur oxidizing bacterial species during acidification, with “new” iron and sulfur oxidizing bacterial species, such as Sulfobacillus sp. and Acidibacillus sp., emerging and constituting approximately one-third of the bacterial population. These bacteria survived desiccation and proliferated faster than A. ferrooxidans YQ-N3 when conditions favored growth.

Carbon and nitrogen sequestration during primary succession in granodiorite quarries

AbstractStudies assessing the potential of mining areas for carbon sequestration focused mainly on areas after the extraction of energy raw materials, especially coal or oil shale, but little attention was paid to stone quarries and quarries of other non‐energy raw materials. We investigated carbon and nitrogen pools (stocks) along a chronosequence in the organic horizon and to a depth of 20 cm of the mineral soil in granodiorite quarries. We compared these pools and sequestration rates with other mining sites. The advantage of this study is that several differently aged quarries in a small area have the same rock chemistry and climate. Thus, the rate of pedogenesis is purely a function of time and vegetation. It is not affected by fossil organic matter or organic matter and nutrients in the topsoil used for reclamation. The vegetation succession tends towards tree cover dominated by Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Birch (Betula pendula), Willow (Salix caprea), Aspen (Populus tremula) and Alder (Alnus glutinosa). Analysis of soils from granodiorite quarries showed a natural accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in the soil to a depth of 20 cm during about 60 years of natural succession. The total soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools to a 20 cm depth average of 2482.4 g C m−2 and 179.1 g N m−2, respectively, in the oldest plots &gt;50 years old. These values are for carbon 2.6 and nitrogen 2.4 times lower compared to pools in the same depth on control plots. Carbon and nitrogen stocks and sequestration rates are lower than in compared coal mining sites and spoils. The sequestration rates of the total sampled soil profile decreased with time from 57 g C m−2 year−1 and 4 g N m−2 year−1 for sites younger than 25 years to 46 g C m−2 year−1 and 3 g N m−2 year−1 for sites older than 50 years.

Immobilization effects of co-pyrolyzed neem seed mixed with poultry manure on potentially toxic elements in soil and the phytoremediation potentials of native Manihot esculenta and Jatropha curcas in ensuring sustainable land use

This study evaluated the effects of neem seed biochar, poultry manure, and their combinations at varying rates of 15 and 25% (w/w) on potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils. Afterward, the suitability of Manihot esculenta and Jatropha curcas in removing Cd, As, Zn, Pb, and Hg from mine spoils were appraised in a 270-day outdoor pot experiment. Using ICP–Mass Spectrometry, the elemental contents of target PTE in the shoot, root, and soil specimens were determined for each treatment. The obtained average values were further subjected to a nonparametric test of samples using IBM SPSS Statistic 29. The applied organic amendments resulted in significant differences p < 0.05 in PTE availability for plant uptake after the Independent-Samples Kruskal–Wallis Test was made. Nonetheless, applying a 25% (w/w) mixture of neem seed biochar and poultry manure was efficient in immobilizing more PTEs in soils which caused lower PTEs presence in plants. Organic amendments further significantly enhanced the fertility of the mine soils leading to about a 6– 25.00% increase in the biomass yield (p < 0.05) of both plants. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was however observed between the phytoremediation potentials of both plants after the Independent-Sample Mann–Whitney U test. Even that, Manihot esculenta was averagely more efficient in PTE uptake than Jatropha curcas. Larger portions of the bioaccumulated PTEs were stored in the roots of both plants leading to high bioconcentration factors of 1.94– 2.47 mg/kg and 1.27– 4.70 mg/kg, respectively, for Jatropha curcas and Manihot esculenta. A transfer factor < 1 was achieved for all PTEs uptake by both plants and indicated their suitability for phytostabilization. Techniques for easy cultivation of root-storing PTEs are required to enhance their large-scale use as their biomass could further be used in clean energy production.

Soil recovery in a chronosequence of revegetated coal mine spoils in Colombian drylands: a view from the assessment of physical-chemical and biological properties

Characterizing changes in soil properties is essential to understand the effect of land rehabilitation practices and the mechanisms that drive such changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the recovery of physical-chemical and biological properties of Technosols with increasing rehabilitation age in a chronosequence of dry forests (7, 10, and 21 years) in the El Cerrejón open-pit coal mine (La Guajira, Colombia). Based on previous studies that demonstrated a greater effect of surface change on the physicochemical properties of soils, composite samples taken at two depth levels (0–3 cm and 3–20 cm) were analyzed for each site. The studied properties improved over time, increasing significantly with respect to non-rehabilitated sites, mainly near the surface (0–3 cm). Particularly, after seven years, the increases in soil N content and soil P solution were significant (32% and 71%, respectively). The increased structural and functional development of the vegetation over time led to increased inputs of organic materials via fine litterfall. Overall, soil organic matter (SOM) ranged from 63 to 89% in the rehabilitated sites compared with a reference mature dry forest. Increased SOM is a key indicator of recovery in degraded mine spoils, as it has an outsized ability to influence other soil properties. This represents a positive result for the revegetation/restoration strategy applied at the El Cerrejón mine.

The interactive effect of reclamation scenario and vegetation types on physical parameters of soils developed on carboniferous mine spoil heap

AbstractBulk density, porosity, and water retention capacity play a key role in limiting root growth and nutrient uptake in developed technogenic soils. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of reclamation technologies and different vegetation types on vital physical soil properties formed from carboniferous materials. The case study was conducted on Sośnica hard coal post‐mine spoil heaps (Upper Silesian Coal Basin of Southern Poland). Nine experimental combinations of reclamation technologies and vegetation types were tested. For vegetation types and basic physical soil parameters, 120 plots (10 × 10 m) were selected. The texture analysis was done on composite soil samples collected at two uppermost soil depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm). Intact structure samples were collected into 100cm3 cylinders from the middle of each plot at both depths for bulk density (BD), porosity, capillary water capacity (CWC), and soil water storage (SWS). In the comparison of different reclamation scenarios, we noted that topsoiling increased BD, whereas CWC and porosity decreased. Spontaneous succession had the same effect on BD, porosity, and CWC as cultivation. Revegetation of the spoil heap with grasses and forbs resulted in lower BD and higher porosity and CWC in the top layer (0–10 cm), whereas woodland resulted in lower BD and higher porosity and CWC at lower depths (10–20 cm). The decreasing order of the SWS was grassland &gt; forbland &gt; woodland. Thus, forbs and grasses should be followed by tree planting, which is crucial to improving the hostile physical properties of the Carboniferous postmine soils.

Lime slurry treatment of soils developing on abandoned coal mine spoil: Linking contaminant transport from the micrometer to pedon-scale

Historical and abandoned coal mine spoil continues to generate acid- and metal(loid)-rich porewaters and represents a geographically large and diffuse non-point source of contamination to local watersheds. A potentially inexpensive approach to treat these materials and soils developing on them is through the application of lime slurries, to neutralize acidity and encourage the (co)precipitation of metal(loids) with Fe(III)-(oxy)hydroxides, and potentially other metal-oxides and/or Ca-bearing phases. The efficacy of this approach was evaluated through parallel field application and laboratory-based flow-through column experiments. The field site is Huff Run sub-watershed 25 located in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and was chosen in part because it was previously classified as one of the most highly AMD-impacted sub-watersheds in the region. Two locations with historical spoil were chosen and suction lysimeters were installed at 25 and 75 cm depth to monitor porewater composition on two sides at the base of each pile. Half of each slope received seven lime slurry treatments from June through October of 2017. A suite of aqueous (ICP-OES, IC, and TOC-L) and solid phase geochemical and mineralogical approaches (quantitative SEM-EDS and synchrotron μ-XRF) were used to determine how composition, texture, morphology, and spatial distribution of mineral coatings differ in pre- and post-lime treated soils, and how that impacts the distribution and transport of trace metal(loid)s. Mine spoil porewater at site 1 was slightly less alkaline (pH ranging from 7.04 to 7.37) than at site 2 (ranging from 7.55 to 7.71), and average electrical conductivity values at site 1 (316–405 μS cm−1) were slightly lower than at site 2 (358–464 μS cm−1), although differences between the sites were not significant. Porewater pH and electrical conductivity in all lysimeters decreased over the course of the field season but there was no obvious response to lime treatment at either site or any depth. At site 1, both treatment and depth were significant factors affecting Ca, K, Ni, SO42−, and DOC concentrations while only treatment effects were significant for dissolved Al and Cu (p < 0.05). For all soils, there were no trends in metal concentration observed over time although DOC and SO42− decreased over the field season. Pedon-scale changes in metal porewater concentrations in response to treatment were linked to micrometer-scale changes in mineral surface coatings; specifically, higher concentrations of Ca, Fe, Mn, and Zn were observed in the coatings and no changes were observed in Fe redox speciation, whereas total S decreased likely due to oxidation of S in coal fragments. In contrast to the field experiment, the column experiments exhibited a much greater response in effluent composition with respect to lime treatment. The untreated columns had approximately an order of magnitude more H+ leached over the course of the experiment (p < 0.001) and resulted in greater Ca, Al, Cu, and DIC leached and less Mn, Zn, and SO42−. Soils treated with the lime slurry in the column experiments exhibited larger and thicker secondary Fe-coatings, including the addition of Fe-sulfates. Despite clear trends in the laboratory-based column experiment where the lime-to-soil ratio was higher, the effects were either muted or undetected in the field pilot project, suggesting that a higher application rate of lime in the field is needed to achieve a similar effect. This work provides evidence that a less alkaline lime slurry could be a practical and inexpensive method of treating coal mine spoil-impacted soils and represents an important step in linking laboratory-based remediation studies to implemented field-based studies.

Distribution and storage of uranium, and its decay products, in floodplain sediments

Industrialised rivers contain legacy contaminants stored in their sediments and floodplain soils which may inhibit attainment of environmental quality criteria. The River Fal catchment, SW England, is impacted by inputs from uranium mining and clay production and serves as an exemplar for understanding the consequences of medium-term process dynamics in contaminated basins. Radionuclides were determined, by gamma spectroscopy, in six cores from the river floodplain with the aim of quantifying the activities of 238U, and its decay products, and the bomb fallout radionuclides137Cs and 241Am. Activity concentrations of 238U implied inputs from mining, accentuated by flood events and historic industrial accidents, whereas 210Pb activities included a significant input of unsupported 210Pb linked to processed mine spoil. The radionuclide inventories did not decrease systematically downstream revealing evidence of attenuation of particulate radionuclides within the river floodplain sediment column. Storage of legacy contaminants in fluvial systems, at levels in excess of contemporary environmental quality guidelines, emphasises the challenges posed by changing climatic conditions. This scenario raises significant consequences for the management of uranium-contaminated, fertile riverine floodplains within Europe.

The Role of Modified Biochar for the Remediation of Coal Mining-Impacted Contaminated Soil: A Review

Land degradation and the release of contaminants such as heavy metals into the environment due to mining activities is a concerning issue worldwide. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the environmental matrix can severely damage flora and fauna and negatively impact human health. The poor physicochemical properties of mine spoil generated through mining operations make restoration of such contaminated and degraded lands challenging. In recent years, an exponential growth in the development and applications of biochar and its composites for the remediation of heavy metal-polluted environmental matrices such as soil and water has been observed. The literature review found that 95 review papers were published in the last five years reviewing the utility of biochar for heavy metals removal from the aqueous environment. However, no paper was published focusing on the application of biochar and its composites for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated coal mine soil. The objective of the present review is to critically review the impact of mining activities on the environment and the role of biochar and its composites in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated mine soil. This review presented a detailed discussion and sufficient data on the impact of mining practices in India on the environment. In addition, it critically discussed the methods of the production of biochar from various wastes and methods of modifying the pristine biochar to develop functionalized biochar composites. The detailed mechanism through which biochar and its composites remove and immobilize the heavy metals in the soil was discussed. The efficacy of biochar for the remediation of contaminated mine soil was also critically evaluated using various case studies and data from previously published articles. Thus, the major conclusion drawn from the review is that the application of various functionalized biochar composites could effectively manage and remediate heavy metal-contaminated mine soil.

Artisanal gold mine spoil types within a common geological area and their variations in contaminant loads and human health risks

This study answered the question of whether mine spoils occurring in a common geological location had similarities in their contaminant load and associated health risks. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the total contents of Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Zn, Fe, and Al were determined for 110 digested soil samples obtained from underground rock ore (URS), oxide ore (OXS), and alluvial ore (AVS) mine spoils. Independent sample Kruskal–Wallis test and pairwise comparisons of sources were used to ascertain the variation in elemental load between the mine spoil investigated. The results showed that mine spoil contaminations and their ecological and health risk significantly varied (p < 0.01) from each other and fell in the order OXS > URS > AVS > forest soils because of their geochemistry. Determined enrichment and geo-accumulation indices revealed that OXS and URS sites were severely–extremely polluted with Cd, Hg, and As, while AVS mine spoils were only moderately contaminated by Cd and As contents. Children had the highest tendency for developing noncarcinogenic health defects largely due to toxic contents of As, Cd, and Hg in soil materials near them than adult men and women would after obtaining a hazard index of 73.5 and 67.7 (unitless) at both OXS and URS sites. Mine spoils especially where hard rocks and oxide ores were processed are not fit for agricultural use or human habitation. The restriction of human access and sustainable remediation approaches are required to avert health defects. Even so, area-specific potentially toxic elements must be targeted during soil cleaning due to the significant variations in contaminant load between mined sites.

Comparative assessment of soil properties and heavy metals indices at rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated sites in coal mine spoils

Comparative assessment of soil properties and heavy metals indices at rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated sites in coal mine spoils

In memoriam of Svetlana Vasilievna Shibareva (21.05.1953 – 25.05.2023)

The article provides information about the research activities of Svetlana Vasilievna Shibareva, candidate of biological sciences, the researcher at the laboratory of biogeocenology at the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry of the SB RAS, briefly describing the main areas of her research such as carbon cycle, nitrogen and other elements in agrocenoses and on coal mining spoils, peat reserves and decomposition in the mires of West Siberia and Poland, as well as fractional and chemical composition of litter in the forest and grassland ecosystems of Siberia.