Reclamation Technology Research Articles

Near-zero liquid discharge and reclamation process based on electrodialysis metathesis for high-salinity wastewater with high scaling potential

This study describes an emerging technology for near-zero liquid discharge desalination (ZDD) and salt reclamation using electrodialysis metathesis (EDM) to treat high-salinity wastewater with high scaling potential. Response surface methodology was employed to determine the optimal conditions for EDM-based ZDD process, and Box-Behnken center-united experimental design was used to quantify the effects of superficial velocity, applied voltage, and volume ratio of diluate/concentrate streams (Vc/Vd) on the salt removal ratio and current efficiency. These parameters influenced the outcome with the impacts following: voltage > superficial velocity > Vc/Vd, and the interactions were generally weak. The concentration of Na- and Cl-type liquid salts reached 200 and 170 g/L, respectively, after seven batch operations without scaling risks. Moreover, the two concentrate streams could be combined to precipitate CaSO4 with about 60% removal of Ca2+ via production of a solid byproduct. Alkali-assisted precipitation of the residual stream demonstrated efficient recovery of Mg2+ resources. Additionally, the purified solution could be further utilized to recover chemical resources (NaCl and Na2SO4) through a partial crystallization process. This work thus provides an applicable approach for the ZDD and reclamation of high-salinity wastewater with high scaling potential, which exist widely in seawater desalination engineering and industrial wastewater treatment.

Dissolved Air Flotation: A Review from the Perspective of System Parameters and Uses in Wastewater Treatment

The current issues of climate change and high freshwater demand worldwide have promoted the implementation of wastewater reclamation technologies. This study aims to review the efficiency of the dissolved air flotation (DAF) technique in a wide variety of applications in the agricultural, industrial, domestic, and municipal sectors, which have high freshwater consumption worldwide. We made a systematic review of the DAF technique in wastewater treatment in 2015-2021. We reviewed six indexed databases and governmental statistical reports; we used the keywords: dissolved air flotation, microbubbles, wastewater treatment, and the main operating and design parameters involved in the effectiveness of the flotation process. Additionally, we conducted a review of the most common synthetic coagulant studies used with DAF, as well as natural coagulants that promise to mitigate current climate change. Finally, we discussed advantages, disadvantages, and potential future studies. DAF to have considerable potential for wastewater treatment, as well as for waste utilization. The generation of large quantities of DAF sludge is a breakthrough for clean energy production, as it allows the use of this waste for biogas production.

Dynamics of the Condition of Reclaimed Agricultural Lands in the Russian Federation

Water reclamation contributes to a guaranteed increase in the yield of agricultural lands and can also negatively affect the quality of the land. Technical malfunction of reclamation systems, outdated reclamation technologies, poor water quality, and untimely drainage may result in such negative processes as resalting and bogging. In Russia, state monitoring of reclaimed lands is carried out annually and obtained data are used to identify soil degradation and pollution to fix the problems at the appropriate times. The Russian economic crisis at the end of the last century affected the state of the reclaimed lands. The authors have analyzed the reclamation state of agricultural lands in all constituent entities of the Russian Federation for the period between 2010 and 2020. The entities have been classified according to the reclamation state of lands located within their territories. The authors have evaluated the structural changes over the past decade and analyzed their causes. The research results can help solve the problems of federal and regional management of reclaimed lands. They are also applicable to solving the problems of choosing priority areas of investment policy to preserve soil fertility.

Studies on the fouling behavior and cleaning method of pervaporation desalination membranes for reclamation of reverse osmosis concentrated water

Schematic diagram of two stages of membrane fouling. • Desalination performance of PV membrane to industrial reverse osmosis concentrate is first reported. • The produced water meets the discharge standard. • Chemical softening pretreatment is necessary to mitigate fouling. • Membrane flux is recovered 98% after chemical washing. Pervaporation (PV), as a cost-efficient concentrating process, has been studied for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) of desalination. Although high water flux and excellent salt rejection have been reported for many PV membranes. The desalination performance, fouling behavior, and cleaning protocol for treating real reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) generated from industrial plants have never been studied. Meanwhile, understanding the fouling behavior and cleaning method in the treating process is crucial for the development of suitable PV desalination membranes. In this study, we used a lab-made PV membrane to treat industrial ROC with a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) value and high salt concentrations. The results showed that conductivity and COD of the produced water were below 20 μs/cm and 70 mg/L, respectively, which fulfilled the discharge standard. However, the membrane fouling problem was not trivial. To address the fouling issue, a chemical softening method was adopted to remove the calcium salts of the ROC, and a membrane cleaning method was developed to regenerate the water flux. As a result, a long-term water flux of 31.27 kg/m 2 ·h with a flux recovery rate of 98% were realized. This highlights the potential of PV desalination technology for ROC reclamation.

Techno-economic assessment of a membrane-based wastewater reclamation process

Reclaimed water plays a crucial role in the water cycle since it constitutes an effective way to improve the utilization of water resources and can help to cope with the water crisis. Membrane technologies for wastewater reclamation, especially ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO), have received great attention in the past decades. In this work, an integrated prototype (2.5 m3/h) based on the combination of UF and RO was operated in Vuelta Ostrera municipal wastewater treatment plant, located in the proximity of an industrial hub, to obtain water with the required quality for being industrially reused complying with Spanish law and the needs of industrial users. The influence of the process variables on water recovery was studied. Filtration time, backwash cycles duration and frequency, and the addition (or not) of coagulant, were the main variables studied during UF operation, while the recirculation rate of the concentrate stream and the UF permeate quality were the main variables for RO operation. Finally, the economic evaluation pointed to important savings in the OPEX of the process, when compared to the prize that industrial users are currently paying for water.

Improvement of technological processes for mining solid mineral resources

The object of research is the technological processes of the development of deposits and the extraction of solid minerals by underground and open-pit methods. The improvement of technological processes is achieved through the use of existing original technical solutions, which are currently advisable to use in practice. The work is aimed at increasing the efficiency of explosive energy use, improving the technological processes of mining operations in coal mines and open pits of mining enterprises. In the course of the study, an analysis of technical literature on mining topics was used, a search for copyright certificates for inventions and patents on the same topic was carried out. There was a search for innovative solutions that are expedient to apply at the present time. In the course of the analysis, the work shows ideas, methods of coal mining, systems for the development of coal seams, methods of destruction of rocks, microbiological reclamation and other new technologies and devices. The most promising technologies have been proposed for in-depth study, implementation and use in appropriate mining and geological conditions. The proposed technologies, for various reasons, have not yet found wide practical application at mining enterprises. Due to the application of the proposed technical solutions and technologies in practice in the conditions of existing coal mines and open pits, significant economic, environmental and financial effects can be obtained. This study was carried out in order to bring to a wide circle of specialists technical solutions that can contribute to a significant improvement in the technology of mining solid minerals, both in underground and open-pit mining all over the world.

PSXI-22 Study of biosorption mechanisms of movable forms of lead by soil isolates of the genus Bacillus in experiments in vitro

Abstract The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in accordance with the state assignment for Ural State Mining University No. 0833-2020-0008 ‘Development and environmental and economic substantiation of the technology for reclamation of land disturbed by the mining and metallurgical complex based on reclamation materials and fertilizers of a new type’. We obtain the scientific results by using funds of the Center for the collective use of scientific equipment of the Federal Scientific Center of biological systems and agricultural technologies of RAS as well (No Ross RU.0001.21 PF59, the Unified Russian Register of Centers for Collective Use - http://www.ckp-rf.ru/ckp/77384).The search for natural bioremediators to restore crop and grazing lands in conditions of the increased anthropogenic load is a relevant and promisingly significant area of research. Thus, we were tasked to assess the prospect of using the physiological and adaptive characteristics of microorganisms of the genus Bacillus as an active biosorbent of movable forms of lead from the substrate on the in vitro model.Soil isolates of microorganisms of the genus Bacillus extracted from samples from areas with increased lead levels were used to achieve our aim. Pb(NO3)2 solutions in the concentration range from 1 to 0.063M were used as the factor regulating the growth. Methods used in the work were: the method of agar basins, the nephelometric method, atomic-absorption spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. B. subtilis and B. cereus were isolated from soil samples. The maximum resistance to different concentrations of Pb(NO3)2 was revealed for B. subtilis. The presence of lead cations in the nutrient substrate significantly increased the population density to 26.0%. At the same time, the percentage of lead sorption in the initial stage of the stationary growth phase was 65.3% with the maximum localization on the surface structures of the cell membrane.

Graphene oxide proton permselective membrane for electrodialysis-based waste acid reclamation: Simulation and validation

Nowadays, the development of novel technology for economical and efficient reclamation of waste acid containing metal ions is still the top priority. The graphene oxide (GO)-based membrane has gained attention in the relevant membrane processes driven by pressure gradient, concentration difference and even Donnan potential because of its special two-dimension (2D) structure and abundant hydrophilic sites. However, its work performances for electrodialysis (ED)-based acid recovery process are still unknown. In this work, GO-based proton permselective membranes (PPM) are designed and applied in the ED-based acid recovery. Above all, the possibility of selective separating protons from metal cations by GO membrane under a direct electric field and the related influencing factors are comprehensively explored by molecular dynamic simulation. Furthermore, a series of GO-based PPMs with designed thickness, interlayer spacing and charged state are prepared by adjusting GO loading, employing different crosslinking agents and attaching the relevant polyelectrolytes. Therein, the work performances of GO-based PPMs in a typical ion substitution ED process, including the metal cation leakage, water transport phenomenon and nonideal migration of anions are investigated and compared with those of commercial membrane. Results show that GO membranes prepared and used according to the optimized conditions embrace sharp separating property between protons and metal ions which is hardly deteriorated along with the change of their relative content. On the other hand, it is noticed that the leakage of organic anions and water transport seem to be unavoidable due to the exploitation of the porous support. Obviously, this work can contribute to not only developing a novel PPM for ED but extending the applications of the 2D nanomaterial as well.

A multi-level analysis of sustainability practices in Ghana: examining the timber, cocoa, and gold mining industries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the macro-, meso- and micro-level approaches to building sustainability in Ghana's timber, cocoa and goldmining industries s Ghana works to align sustainability efforts with the sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations.Design/methodology/approachUsing qualitative content analysis, a synthesis of contemporary literature on Ghana's timber, cocoa and gold mining industries was conducted to provide a descriptive evaluation of sustainability efforts in those industries.FindingsAt the macro-level, Ghana continues to invest in infrastructure, privatize industries and develop an urban development agenda to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI); improved forest management and green building policies and reduction of galamsey are also implemented. At the meso-level, the timber industry encourages land reclamation and green building technologies; the cocoa industry works to replenish lost trees, develop supply-chain partnerships, and encourage certifications; the goldmining industry works to regulate informal mining and reduce galamsey and the use of toxins in exploration. At the micro-level, alignment has developed between the micro- and meso-levels in the timber and cocoa industries, whereas micro-level players in the timber industry are less successful, given its large, unregulated informal sector.Originality/valueExisting literature is missing discussion on the alignment of macro-, meso- and micro-level approaches to sustainability in Ghana's timber, cocoa and gold mining industries with attention to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as the premise for the work.

Silver doped titania nanotubes incorporated photocatalytic dual layer antibiofouling hollow fiber membrane for palm oil wastewater treatment

Photocatalytic dual layer hollow fiber membrane (DLHFM) is advantageous over its single layer counterpart due to a better photocatalyst dispersion on the outer layer to maximize the potential of the photocatalyst in improving the overall membrane performance. In this study, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) dual-layer hollow fiber membrane with antibiofouling properties was successfully synthesized via dry-wet spinning phase inversion method, where the Ag-TNT was incorporated onto the outer layer membrane for photocatalytic degradation of AT-POME pigments in a submerged membrane photoreactor (SMPR). The results revealed that the incorporation of Ag-TNT into the PVDF matrix increased pure water flux from 16.20 L/m2 h for pristine PVDF membrane to 37.12 L/m2 h. The synergistic advantages of photocatalysis and membrane filtration was exhibited by the photocatalytic Ag-TNT membrane which showed the highest AT-POME color removal efficiency of 84.0% compared to the other membranes prepared in this work. With the presence of silver nanoparticles, the modified membrane exhibited antibacterial efficiency of 95.8% with a 1.73 mm inhibition zone around the membrane against P. aeruginosa. Based on the results obtained, the photocatalytic PVDF Ag-TNT membrane showed immense potential as an innovative technology for water reclamation in the palm oil industry.

Towards the circular economy — A pilot-scale membrane technology for the recovery of water and nutrients from secondary effluent

The concept of water reuse was proposed more than two decades ago in regions that suffered from water scarcity or relied on unpredictable water supplies. Since then, climate change, a rapidly growing global urban population, and environmental pollution have impacted sustainable water resources, driving a rise in demand for efficient wastewater reclamation technologies. According to the new Circular Economy Action Plan established by the EU, most activities that are undertaken as part of the wastewater treatment process should primarily concern the search for new technologies that use wastewater as a source of water and nutrients. This article proposes a new approach of secondary effluent (SE) management to recover the valuable components of wastewater for a variety of purposes, beginning with the water itself and followed by nutrients. With this objective in mind, we reclaimed SE in an integrated 3-stage pilot-scale membrane process (micro/ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis). The effect of the process inlet pressure and flow configuration (cross-flow and dead-end filtration), as well as the type of membrane, on the efficiency of the process and water composition was investigated. In this study, microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), and nanofiltration (NF) are not only pre-treatment processes reverse osmosis (RO) but also produce water for various purposes. This technology allowed the production of water for several types of applications. These uses include (a) industrial processes as a cooling medium, (b) urban non-potable applications (e.g., irrigation with reclaimed water and microelements), (c) potable water supplies, and (d) groundwater remediation. The classification of proper use was made based on standards, regulations, and the available literature. The conducted research demonstrated the versatility of the proposed technology with regard to water reclamation for various non-exclusive applications. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness of the implementation of the presented 3-stage-membrane technology was calculated.

Improvement of the technology of cold reclamation of asphalt concrete in the asphalt plant and the possibility of its application in the republic of Iraq

This article presents the state of the highways in the Republic of Iraq and studying the possibility of using the regeneration technology of asphalt concrete as a base for road pavements strengthen. This technology has not yet used in Iraq. Therefore it proposed to use for the maintenance and reconstruction of roads the technology of cold regeneration of asphalt concrete in the asphalt plant, which ensures the improvement of the properties of asphalt granules due to its preliminary crushing, the introduction of cement additives as a mineral binder. Compositions of asphalt-granular-concrete mixtures have developed, and data from studies of the properties of asphalt-granular-concrete of various documents presented. The most common pavement defects in Iraq are plastic deformations, which are caused by a combination of high temperatures and low strength characteristics of asphalt concrete. Pregame compositions used to strengthen the construction of road pavements with increased strength and shear stability. A cost-effectiveness calculation of using the cold technique is also presented moreover compare the cost this application in Russia and Iraq also.

Mathematical Modeling of Technical and Economic Systems in Agriculture III

K E Tokarev 1 1 Volgograd State Agricultural University, 26, Universitetskiy Avenue, Volgograd, 400002, RussiaE-mail: tke.vgsha@mail.ruDear Authors and (Online) Participants of MMTES-III, International Scientific Conference «Mathematical Modeling of Technical and Economic Systems in Agriculture III» (MMTES III-2020) was successfully held online on Dec 10-11, 2020 in at the Department of Mathematical Modeling and Computer Science with organizational and technical support of the Center of Applied Scientific Research (location of organizers - Volgograd, Russian Federation). Due to COVID-2019 and the pandemic-related nationwide lockdowns and other coordinated restrictive measures, the organizers decided to hold a conference in a virtual format with the organization of access for all participants to the presented reports with comprehensive discussion for ensuring the event at a high scientific level. The safety and well-being of all conference participants is our priority. The COVID-19 is unpredictable, so conference postponement met uncertainty, while many scholars and researchers want to attend this long-waited conference and have academic exchanges with their peers. But I want to note that there are no barriers to science, and we continue to work on our research areas remotely, using modern technical means.The conference was held virtually for 2 days (Dec 10-11, 2020) including keynote and invited speeches, authors’ presentation session. The event was held online using Zoom communication platform for synchronous conversation. The conference was organized as a large-scale online meeting of participants in topical sessions with the opportunity for speakers to provide regulated demonstrations of slides and video files according to the approved technical program. Each speaker had 15 min presentation and 5 min Q&A session. There were always 20-25 participants in the network. During the online presentation, participants discussed more than 50 questions on the problems of modeling technical and economic systems in the agro-industrial complex. Participants of the conference were from the leading institutions of Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Germany, Republic of Belarus (All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Reclamation named after A.N. Kostyakov, Namangan Engineering and Technology Institute, Technical University Of Munich, All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Agriculture, Belarusian State Agrarian Technical University, Volgograd State Technical University and others), dealing with problems of increasing agricultural productivity. The outstanding performance of all the presenters made this conference truly spectacular.Main topics of the conference were:1. Mathematical modeling of socio-technical and organizational-economic systems.2. Modeling of natural-technical and agro-ecological processes.3. Artificial intelligence and neural network technologies in agricultural production.4. Modeling of innovative and technological processes in agricultural engineering.5. Modeling of reclamation and environmental technologies in agricultural production.6. Resource and technological support for the production of agricultural products.7. Seed production, plant breeding and biotechnology.8. Innovative technologies in solving economic problems in the agro-industrial complex.9. Modern electrical technologies, electrical equipment and power supply in rural areas.This volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES) is a compilation of the accepted papers in MMTES-III and represents contributions that were presented in the conference. I would like to thank all of the conference sponsors and partners who made conference possible. My special thanks go to our speakers as well as all the authors for sharing their latest research results. Looking forward to meeting you during MMTES IV-2021! Tokarev Kirill E., scientific editor List of Committee are available in the pdf

Hexachlorocyclohexane toxicity in water bodies of Pakistan: challenges and possible reclamation technologies.

Pakistan is an agro-economy country where hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) pesticides are being used to improve crop productivity, as a result the risk of contamination of soil and sediment has been increased. HCH exhibits all the characteristics of persistent organic pollutants (POP), and was therefore added to the list of 'new POPs' in 2009. This review report revealed that the major rivers of Pakistan such as the Indus Basin, River Ravi, River Chenab and their tributaries all are contaminated with HCH and the highest residual concentration (4,090 ng/g) was detected in a pesticide burial ground in Hyderabad city. Major sources of HCH contamination were identified as agricultural runoff, discharge of untreated industrial effluents and surface runoff. In order to manage HCH pollution, various ex-situ and in-situ remediation techniques along with their merits and demerits are thoroughly reviewed. Among these, microbial bioremediation is a low cost, environment friendly, effective in-situ remediation technique for remediation of HCH. Overall, the information provided in this manuscript will provide a future reference to the scientific community and bridge the knowledge gap between HCH release in the environment and their mitigation through proper treatment methods.

Harnessing Peptide Binding to Capture and Reclaim Phosphate.

With rising consumer demands, society is tapping into wastewater as an innovative source to recycle depleting resources. Novel reclamation technologies have been recently explored for this purpose, including several that optimize natural biological processes for targeted reclamation. However, this emerging field has a noticeable dearth of synthetic material technologies that are programmed to capture, release, and recycle specified targets; and of the novel materials that do exist, synthetic platforms incorporating biologically inspired mechanisms are rare. We present here a prototype of a materials platform utilizing peptide amphiphiles that has been molecularly engineered to sequester, release, and reclaim phosphate through a stimuli-responsive pH trigger, exploiting a protein-inspired binding mechanism that is incorporated directly into the self-assembled material network. This material is able to harvest and controllably release phosphate for multiple cycles of reuse, and it is selective over nitrate and nitrite. We have determined by simulations that the binding conformation of the peptide becomes constrained in the dense micelle corona at high pH such that phosphate is expelled when it otherwise would be preferentially bound. However, at neutral pH, this dense structure conversely employs multichain binding to further stabilize phosphate when it would otherwise be unbound, opening opportunities for higher-order conformational binding design to be engineered into this controllably packed corona. With this work, we are pioneering a new platform to be readily altered to capture other valuable targets, presenting a new class of capture and release materials for recycling resources on the nanoscale.

Cadmium Phytoextraction Potential of Ricinus communis Significantly Increased with Exogenous Application of Growth Regulators and Macronutrients

ABSTRACT Phytoremediation has emerged as promising technology for reclamation of metal-polluted sites. The present study was conducted with an aim to assess the hyperaccumulation potential of Ricinus communis for cadmium, with the application of exogenous substances, [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)] and phytohormones [Gibberellic acid (GA3) and Indole acetic acid (IAA)]. These were applied to increase plant biomass, improve phytoextraction of Cd and its accumulation in aerial parts, with generation of endogenous proline and phenols in R. communis, grown in soil contaminated with 100 mg Cd/Kg. Plant hormones were used only as foliar spray while growth regulators were applied to soil and also used as foliar spray. T4 (Cd+NPK AS) significantly increased root length, T12 (GA3+ NPK FS) highly increased stem length and leaf length as compared to control C1 (plant only Cd). FBM was highly increased by N alone or in combination with P, K, and GA3 foliar sprayed in R. communis. Conclusively, it was found that NPK (foliar) in combination with GA3 followed by N and IAA, significantly increased biomass, Cd concentration and accumulation in all the treated plants of R. communis. Cadmium bio-concentration values for R. communis were higher than unity (1) i.e. ± 2.54. Highest significant concentration of phenolic and proline in R. communis were recorded in combination treatments of GA3 and NPK foliar spray while in other plants in NPK addition into soil treatment. Thus, R. communis has the natural potential as hyperaccumulator and further study is required for its industrial implementation in polluted soil.

A multistakeholder approach and techno-economic analysis of a mechanical reclamation process for waste foundry sand in the Indian context

This article presents a holistic approach to promote waste foundry sand (WFS) reclamation in India by designing a framework for a multistakeholder approach that combines resources, technology, and potential market. The scale of WFS generation and dumping is estimated based on a survey, and a solution is proposed that integrates WFS collection and sand reclamation technology for foundry sand ecosystem development. The study further examined the economic feasibility of a mechanical reclamation process for WFS, using indicators such as net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), discounted payback period (DPBP), and benefit-cost ratio (BCR). A sand reclamation plant of 1 ton h−1 capacity showed promising economics, and the NPV, IRR, DPBP, and BCR were found to be ₹57.21 million ($0.76 million), 29.78%, 2.82 years, and 5.48, respectively. All the operating, manpower, raw material, and utility costs reasonably influence the economics of the reclamation process. In parallel, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were carried out using a Monte Carlo simulation to understand the influence of the above-mentioned indicators on the economics of the process. This uncertainty analysis predicted an average NPV of ₹56.55 ± 2 million ($0.75 ± 0.027 million). The castings made up of reclaimed sand appeared to be cost competitive at the reclaimed sand price in the range of ₹1000–2000 ton−1 ($13.33–26.67 ton−1). Overall, the designed framework appears to encourage reduction in WFS disposal and promotion of reclaimed sand in Indian foundries. Policy interventions are suggested to promote the proposed solution in its initial phase.

Spatial distribution characteristics of reconstructed soil bulk density of opencast coal-mine in the loess area of China

Controlling and adjusting the reconstructed soil bulk density (RSBD) in an artificially disturbed ecosystem is one of the main challenges in land reclamation. Exploring the spatial distribution of RSBD is the best starting point to analyze and improve reclamation technology. This study quantifies the spatial distribution pattern and variation of RSBD on reclaimed land in the loess area of China using geostatistical spatial interpolation and multiple regression analysis. Topography (platform, slope, and slope aspects), vegetation cover, soil particle size distribution, and soil erosion were found to affect the spatial variability of the RSBD. The boundary between the sunny slope and shady slope was considered to be the dividing line for the RSBD, which was generally distributed in stripes and patches. The RSBD was higher on the sunny slope than on the shady slope at 0–10 cm, while the opposite was observed at 20–40 cm. However, the RSBD at the depths of 40–60 cm increased from west to east, and the direction of the strong spatial variability also gradually changed from “ Southwest ↔ Northeast ” to “ West ↔ East ”. The unary quadratic regression equations accurately represent the variation laws of RSBD at different soil depths under different topography and vegetation cover (R2 > 0.90). Measures that utilize engineering and vegetation to improve the RSBD should be adjusted according to the specific landscape and topography. This study provides a theoretical basis for the improvement of the RSBD and the optimization of land reclamation technology used in opencast coal-mine dumps in the loess area.

НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ УСТОЙЧИВОГО ФУНКЦИОНИРОВАНИЯ АГРОПРОМЫШЛЕННЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ ОПЕРЕЖАЮЩЕГО РАЗВИТИЯ НА ОСНОВЕ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ МЕЛИОРАТИВНЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ

Purpose: analysis of the regulatory and legal tools aimed at creating conditions for the sustainable functioning of agro-industrial territories of advanced development (hereinafter – APTOR) based on the use of reclamation technologies within the framework of the current legislation of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. Analysis of the regulatory documentation in the field of agro-industrial sector made it possible to identify the required amendments to the legislation in the field of land reclamation in order to create the APTOR. Using the existing experience of the target direction of subjects with the status of advanced development territories, they proposed APTOR as a kind of variety based on reclamation technologies, the latter being a mechanism that stimulates the intensification of agricultural activity. It has been determined that the interaction of various subjects of state power and management on the creation of territories of advanced development is carried out in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the current federal legislation. Conclusions. Currently, in the current legal framework of the Russian Federation, the projects to create advanced development territories, of which there are more than 100 today are being implemented. It is advisable to concretize the concept of “agro-industrial territory of advanced development” in a separate chapter of the current Federal Law no. 473 of December 29, 2014 “On Territories of Advanced Socio-Economic Development in the Russian Federation”.

Management of land reclamation quality for agricultural use in opencast mining

Purpose. Theoretical substantiation of principles and development of recommendations for the choice of technological variant to form the quality of lands of technogenic origin, which would ensure rational spending of funds allotted for reclamation and preservation of the reclaimed lands suitability for agricultural use with the highest requirements for agrophysical soil characteristics. Methods. The following methods were used in the process of the research: the method of theoretical generalization and systematization (to determine the characteristics peculiar to the formation of qualitative characteristics of man-made soil using mechanization of reclamation works), analytical (to determine the factors influencing the effectiveness of land reclamation in opencast mining), comparison (to analyze the efficiency of different versions of reclamation works mechanization). Findings. The influence of technical means of reclamation works mechanization on the quality of lands subject to restoration in conditions of opencast mining is analyzed. A methodological approach to the choice of mechanization of land reclamation works in respect to the indicators of the formed quality of technogenic agricultural lands as a factor of their monetary valuation and the level of costs for their reproduction is proposed. Recommendations for quality management of man-made lands by technical support of the process of their consumer properties formation, aimed at achieving a favorable ratio between quality and, accordingly, monetary valuation of man-made lands, on the one hand, and, on the other, – the cost of their reclamation. Originality.A scientific and methodological approach to the choice of technical equipment for reclamation works is proposed, where two factors are considered: reclamation costs and quality of man-made lands, which allows to determine the priority of cost savings or land quality improvement according to the target criterion of reclamation works efficiency. Practical implications. The obtained results are aimed at improving the methodological bases for management of the man-made lands reclamation process based on the choice of its mechanization means. Keywords: land quality, reclamation costs, monetary valuation of lands, reclamation technology, reclamation efficiency