TY - GEN
T1 - Use of Plant Bioassays for Assessing Mine Tailings Rehabilitation Strategies
AU - Proto, Mariagrazia
AU - Courtney, Ronan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Avestia Publishing. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Metalliferous mining is an important economic activity [1] [2] although it produces a large amount of mineral waste (i.e. several thousand million tons per year) that is divided into two distinct physical forms: ‣ Coarse waste rock: usually with a diameter of 2-20 cm [3] [4] ‣ Tailings: fine-grained with a diameter <2.0 mm [4] Disposal and containment of metalliferous mine tailings can result in severe pollution and have aesthetic impacts on the local environment. Creating a vegetation cover on tailings is viewed as an effective strategy for stabilising and reclaiming tailings. Many strategies are available for the remediation of the metalliferous sites, such as physical stabilization, which consists of covering the tailings with an innocuous material, and chemical stabilization, which consists in adding a chemical agent to the tailings able to absorb the pollution [3]. However only with the application of phytoremediation strategies (biological stabilization), it is possible to establish if the remediation is effective and long-term. The phytoremediation of the mine tailings is effective in providing surface stability to prevent the wind-blow of contaminated particulates and in reducing water pollution. Although the phytoremediation is desirable, for several reasons, such as reduced costs compared to conventional remediation techniques, easy monitoring and a high degree of social acceptability, metalliferous wastes are an unfavourable environment for plant growth due to the many growth-limiting factors such as poor water-holding, deficiency of macronutrients and potentially high levels of heavy metals. [5] [6] [7] Samples of historic (not remediated) Pb/ Zn mine tailing from Ireland and UK were collected in order to assess the metal uptake risk in plants [8]. Tailings were characterized for pH, EC, and the different fractions (soluble, available and total) of metal concentration (using H 2O, 0.1M CaCl 2 and aqua regia). The growth of the Lolium perenne was evaluated using the Rhizotest™; and the uptake of essential elements (Ca, and Mg) and of heavy metals (Sb, As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) was determined both in the shoots and in the roots. Finally, the Phytotoxkit™ was used to assess the effects of the remediation treatments on the germination and on the seedling growth of the plant. All the samples were treated with a different amount (percentage) of control soil (i.e. 100% tailings; 80% tailing-20% control-soil; 60% tailings-40% control-soil; until 100% control-soil) using the seeds of Lepidium sativum. It was observed that the 100% mine tailings (not treated) severely inhibits the germination and the growth of the plants. The results obtained by the Phytotoxkit show the decrease of percentage inhibition of plant growth (either in roots and shoots) increasing the amount of control soil.
AB - Metalliferous mining is an important economic activity [1] [2] although it produces a large amount of mineral waste (i.e. several thousand million tons per year) that is divided into two distinct physical forms: ‣ Coarse waste rock: usually with a diameter of 2-20 cm [3] [4] ‣ Tailings: fine-grained with a diameter <2.0 mm [4] Disposal and containment of metalliferous mine tailings can result in severe pollution and have aesthetic impacts on the local environment. Creating a vegetation cover on tailings is viewed as an effective strategy for stabilising and reclaiming tailings. Many strategies are available for the remediation of the metalliferous sites, such as physical stabilization, which consists of covering the tailings with an innocuous material, and chemical stabilization, which consists in adding a chemical agent to the tailings able to absorb the pollution [3]. However only with the application of phytoremediation strategies (biological stabilization), it is possible to establish if the remediation is effective and long-term. The phytoremediation of the mine tailings is effective in providing surface stability to prevent the wind-blow of contaminated particulates and in reducing water pollution. Although the phytoremediation is desirable, for several reasons, such as reduced costs compared to conventional remediation techniques, easy monitoring and a high degree of social acceptability, metalliferous wastes are an unfavourable environment for plant growth due to the many growth-limiting factors such as poor water-holding, deficiency of macronutrients and potentially high levels of heavy metals. [5] [6] [7] Samples of historic (not remediated) Pb/ Zn mine tailing from Ireland and UK were collected in order to assess the metal uptake risk in plants [8]. Tailings were characterized for pH, EC, and the different fractions (soluble, available and total) of metal concentration (using H 2O, 0.1M CaCl 2 and aqua regia). The growth of the Lolium perenne was evaluated using the Rhizotest™; and the uptake of essential elements (Ca, and Mg) and of heavy metals (Sb, As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) was determined both in the shoots and in the roots. Finally, the Phytotoxkit™ was used to assess the effects of the remediation treatments on the germination and on the seedling growth of the plant. All the samples were treated with a different amount (percentage) of control soil (i.e. 100% tailings; 80% tailing-20% control-soil; 60% tailings-40% control-soil; until 100% control-soil) using the seeds of Lepidium sativum. It was observed that the 100% mine tailings (not treated) severely inhibits the germination and the growth of the plants. The results obtained by the Phytotoxkit show the decrease of percentage inhibition of plant growth (either in roots and shoots) increasing the amount of control soil.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134405210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.11159/iceptp21.lx.107
DO - 10.11159/iceptp21.lx.107
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85134405210
SN - 9781927877906
T3 - World Congress on Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering
BT - Proceedings of the 6th World Congress on Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, CSEE 2021
A2 - Abdoun, Tarek
A2 - Arab, Mohamed
A2 - Clausen, Johan
A2 - Facciorusso, Johan
A2 - Fahmy, Ahmed
A2 - Goodary, Rajeshwar
A2 - Green, Russell A.
A2 - Gutierrez, Marte
A2 - Jefferson, Ian
A2 - Jin, Fei
A2 - Jung, Stefan
A2 - Kaliakin, Victor
A2 - Miglio, Antonio
A2 - Squeglia, Nunziante
A2 - Tilley, Roger
A2 - Mitrani, Helen
A2 - Ellen, Rathje
A2 - Fratta, Dante
PB - Avestia Publishing
T2 - 6th World Congress on Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, CSEE 2021
Y2 - 21 June 2021 through 23 June 2021
ER -