Mine Tailings Research Articles

Characterization of a Native Microbial Consortium From Mining Tailings of the Arequipa-Peru Region and its Potential Application in Bioleaching

Objective: To characterize the native microbial consortium of the old mine tailings of Yarabamba (Arequipa) and evaluate their potential application in biolixiviation. Theoretical Framework: Metagenomics allows the identification of microorganisms in environments such as mine tailings. Bioleaching assays using seawater offer a more sustainable approach to copper recovery. Method: Samples were collected from mine tailings in Arequipa, Peru, and were crushed for bioleaching and metagenomics tests. Native and seawater-adapted microbial consortia were used, monitoring pH, ORP and cell count. Copper quantification was performed by atomic absorption, and molecular characterization was performed by metagenomics, analyzing the data with bioinformatics tools. Results and Discussion: Microbial consortia adapted to seawater achieved a copper recovery of 4.61%. Key species such as Pelomonas aquatica, Bradyrhizobium australafricanum and Burkholderia metallidurans were identified as associated with biolixiviation. These results highlight microbial diversity and treatment with seawater use. Research implications: The results have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of tailings. Molecular characterization of consortia contributes to the development of more efficient strategies in biotechnology and bioremediation. Originality/Value: This research establishes bases to understand the adaptation of microbial consortia present in this locality, highlighting the importance of long-term bioremediation strategies.

Localization and speciation of rare earth elements in mine tailings from ion-adsorption clay deposits, Southern China: Insights from microfocused X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Localization and speciation of rare earth elements in mine tailings from ion-adsorption clay deposits, Southern China: Insights from microfocused X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Assessment of the effect of acids application during the electrodialytic recovery of lithium from mine tailings

Assessment of the effect of acids application during the electrodialytic recovery of lithium from mine tailings

Effect of water as an alkali activator transport medium and other manufacturing factors in alkali activated copper mine tailings

Effect of water as an alkali activator transport medium and other manufacturing factors in alkali activated copper mine tailings

Heavy metals stabilization in lead zinc mine tailings by using mechanical, mechano-chemical, and microwave oven activation; tailing waste utilization in building materials

Heavy metals stabilization in lead zinc mine tailings by using mechanical, mechano-chemical, and microwave oven activation; tailing waste utilization in building materials

Effects of different water and fertilizer treatments on the matrix properties and plant growth of tailings waste

Vegetation ecological restoration technology is widely regarded as an environmentally sustainable and green technology for the remediation of mineral waste. The appropriate ratio of amendments can improve the substrate environment for plant growth and increase the efficiency of ecological restoration. Herbs and shrubs are preferred for vegetation restoration in abandoned mines because of their rapid establishment and easy management. This study probed into their improvement effects on abandoned mine tailings from aspects such as plant growth and nutrient content. Based on this, the trail explored the impacts of different ratios of quarry waste matrix on different plant growth and the physical and chemical properties of the quarry matrix. The original soil, without fertilizer and with 45% water treatment, was taken as the control (CK), while the experimental group comprised of composite soil with different ratios of original soil and slag, combined with various water and nitrogen fertilizer treatments. Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng, Campsis grandiflora (Thunb.) Schum, Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv, Periploca sepium Bunge, and mugwort (Artemisia argyi Levl. Et Vant.) were planted, respectively, in the control and experimental groups. After a 30-day period of nitrogen fertilizer and water treatment, an analysis was conducted to evaluate the physicochemical properties and growth status of the tailing matrix for different treatments. The results demonstrated that the M7 treatment significantly promoted the growth of mugwort, whereas the M2 treatment stimulated the growth of Campsis grandiflora (Thunb.) Schum. Additionally, the M3 treatment proved to be advantageous for enhancing the growth of Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv, Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng, and Periploca sepium Bunge. The soil matrix pH of Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng, Campsis grandiflora (Thunb.) Schum, Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv, Periploca sepium Bunge, and mugwort is all above 7.5, while macronutrient elements including TK, AK, TN, AN, TP, and AP exhibit varying degrees of enhancement. PCA analysis disclosed that there were significant disparities in substrate properties and plant growth properties among treatments for Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng, Campsis grandiflora (Thunb.) Schum, Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv, Periploca sepium Bunge, and mugwort (P < 0.05). The correlation network and structural equation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the water and fertilizer matrix and soil AN and TN (P < 0.05). Additionally, TK exhibited a positive correlation with the growth status of all five plant species. Moreover, the water and fertilizer substrate displayed a positive association with the growth status of Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng, Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv, Periploca sepium Bunge, as well as mugwort; however, it showed a negative correlation with the growth status of Campsis grandiflora (Thunb.) Schum.

Elemental partitioning, morpho-physiological effects, genotoxicity, and health risk assessment associated with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown in soil contaminated with mining tailings.

This study explored the distribution of macronutrients (Ca, Mg, Na, K) and lithogenic (Ba, Cr, Ni, Mn, Fe) and mining-related (As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn) toxic metalloids and metals (TMMs) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and its effects on plant development, productivity, genotoxicity, and human health, using a soil affected by mine tailings (AfS) and an unaffected control soil (CS). The chemistry of soils reflected their mineralogy, and Fe-Ti oxides, sulfides and sulfosalts were found to be the most significant reservoirs of TMMs. AfS had concentrations of mining-related TMMs 15 to 945 times greater than background (continental crust) levels, and 1.98 to 17.8 times above those of CS. Whitin tomato plants, TMMs were mostly concentrated in the roots but only As and Cd had BCF > 1.0 in AfS. Translocation was also limited to As and Cd in plants from AfS, whereas Ba, Ni, Mn, As, Cd, Cu, and Zn were translocated in CS. Tomato plants from AfS exhibited important alterations in morphological and physiological parameters, with a significant reduction in yield (up to 52%) and nutrimental (up to 81%) contribution relative to plants from CS. AfS plants showed higher DNA damage than CS plants, expressed by an increase in the genotoxic parameters of tail length, tail intensity, and tail moment in the alkaline comet assay. In fruit from both soils, As and Cd exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations proposed by FAO/WHO up to 25 and 54 times, respectively. Moreover, the combined ingestion of TMMs likely poses a high risk of both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic diseases to consumers-particularly to children.

Biomonitoring of the Paraopeba river: Cytotoxic, genotoxic and metal concentration analysis three years after the Brumadinho dam rupture - Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The rupture of Vale S.A. mining tailings dam in Brumadinho, Brazil, in January 2019 had significant environmental impacts on the Paraopeba River basin. Additionally, severe floods in early 2022 contributed to the transport of particles in the river. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of Paraopeba River water. Thus, the Allium cepa test system was applied, along with physicochemical analyses, flow cytometry, and metal concentration, comparing the results between the rainy and dry seasons three years after the dam rupture. The tests were conducted on water samples collected during three periods: January 2022, July 2022, and January 2023, at five points along the river and its tributaries. Allium cepa seeds were exposed to the collected water samples, as well as negative (water) and positive (trifluralin) controls. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the mitotic index and flow cytometry, and genotoxicity by the chromosomal alterations index. The analysis of metals and physicochemical parameters revealed that most values complied with current regulations. However, there were exceptions, with ammonia levels exceeding the permitted limits at all points in the three collections. High levels of aluminum, iron and nitrite were found at most points, before and after the dam collapse, mainly during the rainy season. This indicates the impact of rainfall on water quality, which increases the transport of contaminating particles, probably resulting from human activities and the high concentration of nitrogen compounds released into the Paraopeba River. The results of the bioassay suggest a relatively low cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of the samples evaluated. However, this study highlights the continuous contamination of the river by unidentified anthropogenic factors, requiring continuous monitoring and analysis to track the evolution of water quality and its environmental effects.

Green Infrastructure as an Urban Landscape Strategy for the Revaluation of the Ite Wetlands in Tacna

This study is focused on proposing a green infrastructure design that revalues the Ite Wetlands in Tacna. Currently, the Ite Wetlands are experiencing significant degradation mainly due to water pollution in the wetland and other associated environmental and social impacts. This situation is exacerbated by nearby mining activity, which includes the discharge of mining tailings that negatively affect water quality and the surrounding natural environment. An exhaustive diagnosis was conducted, considering multiple urban and environmental aspects, such as topography, road networks, climatic conditions, and biological diversity. The green infrastructure and revaluation project for the Ite Wetlands in Tacna has generated significant results, highlighted by the careful design of green corridors. The implementation of interpretive trails, rest areas, birdwatching viewpoints, and botanical gardens has transformed the wetlands into a multifunctional environment that promotes environmental conservation and biodiversity. This initiative has not only revitalized the area but strengthened the cultural and social identity of the region. The proposal provides a sustainable development model that can serve as inspiration for other natural areas facing degradation.

Environmental monitoring of La Concordia mine (Salta province, Argentina): assessing heavy metal bioaccumulation and physiological responses of Parastrephia quadrangularis.

The Puna region is distinguished by its extreme environmental conditions and highly valuable mining resources. However, the unregulated management of mine tailings poses a significant threat to the ecological integrity of this region. This study assesses the environmental impacts of mine tailings at La Concordia mine (Salta province, Argentina) and examines the physiological and biochemical adaptations of Parastrephia quadrangularis (Meyen) Cabrera that enable its survival under this extreme conditions. Our findings reveal that prolonged weathering of mine tailings results in the generation of acid mine drainage characterized by low pH levels (< 3.5) and elevated concentrations of As, Fe, Cu, Pb, and Zn. These levels exceed drinking water standards by 5-10 times for As, 6-13 times for Zn, 80-120 times for Pb, 20-380 times for Fe, and 4-10 times for Cu. Soil analyses highlight low pH, high salinity, and elevated concentrations of Zn (310mgkg-1), Pb (153mgkg-1), and Cu (128mgkg-1). Despite these harsh environmental conditions, 7 plant species where identified, with Parastrephia quadrangularis being the only species present at the most polluted site. This species exhibits high heavy metal bioaccumulation and robust tolerance mechanisms against heavy metal-induced oxidative damage, as evidenced by stable total chlorophylls and malondialdehyde content, and increased levels of carotenoids, proline, and phenolic compounds. These findings emphasize Parastrephia quadrangularis as a promising candidate for revegetation and phytostabilization for sustainable mine closure programs in La Puna region.

A data-driven framework to identify influencing factors for soil heavy metal contaminations using random forest and bivariate local Moran's I: A case study.

The efficacy of traceability analysis is often limited by a lack of information on influencing factors for heavy metal (HM) contaminations in soil, such as spatial correlations between HM concentrations and influencing factors. To overcome this limitation, a novel data-driven framework was established to identify influencing factors for soil HM concentrations in an industrialised study area, in Guangdong Province, China, mainly using random forest (RF) and bivariate local Moran's I (BLMI) on the basis of the 577 soil samples and the 18 environmental covariates. The quantitative contributions of the 18 influencing factors for the Cd, As, Pb, and Cr concentrations were determined by the optimised RF. The main influencing factors of Cd were petrol stations (10.97%) and railways (9.99%), the main ones of As were groundwater depth (8.45%) and elevation (8.24%), the main ones of Pb were soil pH (8.82%) and hazardous waste disposal sites (8.02%), and the main ones of Cr were mine tailings (13.65%) and rainfall (11.88%). The eight spatial clustering maps between the four HM concentrations and the two key influencing factors were generated by BLMI. The middle part of the study area has shown the higher concentrations of Cd, As, Pb, and Cr, the more complex human activities and the more high-high clusters. Priority attention should be paid to the middle part when taking the specific prevention and control measures for their contaminations. This data-driven framework provided rich information on influencing factors, including HM concentrations, HM contaminations, quantitative contributions, and qualitative spatial clusters.

Hardened properties and leaching behavior of mortars with activated mining tailings

Hardened properties and leaching behavior of mortars with activated mining tailings

Evaluation of Silver Recovery from High-Sulphur Mining Waste Using Thiourea-Oxalate System.

Mine tailings are a byproduct of mineral extraction and often pose an environmental challenge due to the contamination of soil and water bodies with dissolved metals. However, this type of waste offers the opportunity for the recovery of valuable metals such as silver (Ag). In the present investigation, an integral analysis of a sample of tailings was carried out, addressing granulometry, elemental composition, neutralization potential (NP), and acid potential (AP), as well as mineralogy, for the dissolution of silver from this type of waste. For this purpose, thiourea (CH4N2S) was used as a leaching agent due to its low toxicity, and potassium oxalate (K2C2O4) was used as an organic additive to improve the leaching of the silver phases (argentite and polybasite) present in the tailings. The effects of CH4N2S and K2C2O4 concentrations, temperature, and pH on the leaching efficiency of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and arsenic (As) were systematically studied. The results revealed that the maximum silver dissolution rate reached 90.75% under optimal conditions: 0.2 M L-1 of thiourea and 0.2 M L-1 of potassium oxalate, at 35 °C and a pH of 2.

Transition of CO2 from Emissions to Sequestration During Chemical Weathering of Ultramafic and Mafic Mine Tailings

Weather-enhanced sulphide oxidation accelerates CO2 release into the atmosphere. However, over extended geological timescales, ultramafic and mafic magmatic minerals may transition from being sources of CO2 emissions to reservoirs for carbon sequestration. Ultramafic and mafic mine tailings present a unique opportunity to monitor carbon balance processes, as mine waste undergoes instantaneous and rapid chemical weathering, which shortens the duration between CO2 release and absorption. In this study, we analysed 30 vanadium-titanium magnetite mine tailings ponds with varying closure times in the Panxi region of China, where ~60 years of mineral excavation and dressing have produced significant outcrops of mega-mine waste. Our analysis of anions, cations, saturation simulations, and 87Sr/86Sr; δ13C and δ34S isotopic fingerprints from mine tailings filtrates reveals that the dissolution load of mine tailings may depend significantly on early-stage sulphide oxidation. Despite the abundance of ultramafic and mafic minerals in tailings, dolomite dominates chemical weathering, accounting for ~79.2% of the cationic load. Additionally, due to sulphuric-carbonate weathering, the filtrates undergo deacidification along with sulphide depletion. The data in this study suggest that pristine V-Ti-Fe tailings ponds undergo CO2 emissions in the first two years but subsequently begin to absorb atmospheric CO2 along with the filtrates. Our results provide valuable insights into monitoring weathering transitions and carbon balance in ultramafic and mafic rocks.

Reconstructing the environmental impact of mining on mountain lakes.

Mountain lakes are particularly fragile ecosystems undergoing important ecological and depositional transformations associated with ongoing global change. However, the history of anthropogenic impacts on mountain lakes and their catchments is much longer, in many cases featuring millennia of summer pastoral farming. More recently, the growing demand for raw materials and energy linked to industrialization, particularly accelerated since the 19th century CE, meant a further increase in human impact on mountain areas. The Cantabrian Range (northern Spain) constitutes a paradigmatic case of southern European mountain range experiencing intense human impact during the past millennia and particularly the past two centuries. Here, we have reconstructed the environmental dynamics of this area during the last millennium, with a particular focus on the impact of mining, based on the multidisciplinary analysis (sedimentology, biogeochemistry, magnetic susceptibility, diatoms, pollen, charcoal and dung fungal spores) of sediment cores from Lago de La Cueva (43°03'N, 6°06'W, 1550ma.s.l.). Fire induced deforestation during the 15th century CE increased erosion during the Little Ice Age. The onset of iron mining in the catchment 200years ago significantly impacted the lake, increasing sedimentation rates and mining waste containing hematite and potentially toxic elements. Diatoms showed that lake regulation since the early 20th century CE severely altered the natural hydrological regime introducing rapid seasonal lake-level oscillations and increasing lakeshore erosion, water turbidity and nutrient loads. The recent environmental restoration, finished in 2006, involved the re-deposition of mine tailings. Although mining wastewater still reaches the lake, restoration effectively reduced erosion and nutrient loads. This study illustrates the complex interactions between human activities (grazing, mining, hydropower) and climate change in shaping mountain landscapes through time. Our findings highlight the usefulness of Paleolimnology to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of lake restoration programs.

Microbial Fuel Cells for Power Generation by Treating Mine Tailings: Recent Advances and Emerging Trends

Microbial Fuel Cells for Power Generation by Treating Mine Tailings: Recent Advances and Emerging Trends

Bioremediation potential of biochar and metal tolerant Bacillus cereus on heavy metal polluted mine surrounding pond and assessed cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity attributes of treated water on Brine shrimp larvae and Paddy seedling

BackgroundThe soil has been polluted severely with metals leached from mine tailings. Thus, these mine tailings can also reduce the fertility of farmland nearby the mining activities. The research was performed to assess the physicochemical attributes of water sample collected from magnesite mine surrounding pond and evaluate the bioremediation potential of pre-characterized biochar and Bacillus cereus under various treatments set up in a laboratory condition. MethodsStandard acid digestion method was followed to quantify the metal content in the soil. In-vitro remediation method was performed to determine the remediation potential of biochar and B. cereus. In-vitro method was followed to find the toxicity on Artemia franciscana larvae and Orysa sativa. FindingsThe results shows that the heavy metal contents like As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cl−, SO42−, as well as Hg beyond the permissible limit. The dissolved oxygen (DO) level was also notably poor. The bioremediation study with various treatment groups (BT1, BT2, BT3, and BT4) showed that the group BT2 (biochar + B. cereus) effectively reduced the heavy metals in the treated pond water under 10 days of exposure. Furthermore, the BT2 treated water sample alone showed no toxic effects on A. franciscana larvae and O. sativa.

Leaching of pollutant metals (Pb, Zn) from abandoned mine tailings: A multicomponent reactive transport model of a pilot-scale experiment.

Mine tailing deposits pose a global problem, as they may contain metal contaminants in various geochemical forms and are likely to be leached from the surface into the underlying groundwater, which can result in health and/or environmental risks. Unfortunately, little is currently known regarding the water flow and mass balance related to leaching in the vadose zone as these factors are still difficult to measure at the field scale. A pilot-scale experiment was run in a 1 m3 instrumented column for 6months to address this issue. This 70cm high column was filled with highly Pb-contaminated tailings and then watered regularly. The top half remained unsaturated while the bottom half was kept saturated. Continuous water flow and water saturation measurements were recorded and the physico-chemical properties of the soil solutions were monitored weekly at different levels in the column. A 1D multicomponent reactive transport model was built to simulate the fate and transport of Pb as well as other elements. The variably saturated water flow was simulated using the Richards equation, while the van Genuchten analytic form was used to describe the unsaturated soil hydraulic properties. The main processes considered to simulate the reactive transport were advection-dispersion, thermodynamic equilibrium, and kinetically-controlled dissolution-precipitation reactions. The most reactive Pb-bearing phases accounted for in the simulation were anglesite (PbSO4) and plumbojarosite Pb0.5Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6. The simulations accurately reproduced the water flow and mass balance as well as the drop of 2 pH units experimentally measured in the pore solution. This trend resulted from plumbojarosite dissolution followed by ferrihydrite precipitation. The increased Pb concentration in the soil solution induced by the dissolution of Pb-bearing phases was partially offset by Pb-sorption onto newly formed iron oxides and the precipitation of secondary mineral phases, e.g. anglesite. The modeling results could be used to assess potential risks of groundwater contamination by mine tailings.

Phytoremediation and genetic adaptation potential of Jatropha curcas on heavy metals enriched mine tailings

BackgroundPhytoremediation is aninexpensive green method that uses metal-tolerant plants to extract these contaminants and restore the soil. MethodsThe phytoremediation potential and genomic DNA/genetic adaptability nature of Jatropha curcas was investigated by 90 days of greenhouse experiment.The genomic DNA stability was determined through RAPD analysis. Soil characterization results the magnesite mine tailing physicochemical parameters (pH, Total carbon, Total hardness, NPK, Cr, Pb, Mn, and Cd) were beyond the acceptable limits. Thus, the mine soil diluted with fertile soil (group a-f) to create different treatment groups. Significant FindingsThe results stated that soil diluted with maximum quantity of fertile soil showed maximum growth and considerably extracted the metals from the soil compared to undiluted (group e) soil and other groups. The BAF and TF values strongly suggests that the J.curcas is suitable candidature with phytoextraction potential. The RAPD analysis on whole genomic DNA revealed that the plan possesses considerable metal adaptation potential under metal stress condition confirmed by GTS and DNA polymorphism analyses through RAPD and also TSP analyses. Hence, this J. curcas can be employed as considerable plant with phytoextraction (as hyperaccumulator) potential to remove the heavy metals from the soil.

Converting Iron Mine Tailings into Composite Aggregates for Ultrahigh-Performance Mortar

Converting Iron Mine Tailings into Composite Aggregates for Ultrahigh-Performance Mortar