Mine tailings represent a serious threat to the environment and human health; thus their restoration has become a major concern. In this study, the interactions between Brassica juncea and different mine soil treatments were evaluated in order to understand their effect on germination and early growth. Three soil treatments containing 25% and 50% of technosol and 30% of compost were prepared. G...

Vegetation at an abandoned heavy metal bearing mine tailing may have multifunctional roles such as modification of water balance, erosion control and landscape rehabilitation. Research on the vegetation of mine tailings can provide useful information on tolerance, accumulation and translocation properties of species potentially applicable at moderately contaminated sites. Analyses of the relati...

Dispersed clay particles in mine tailings and soft sediments remain suspended for decades, hindering consolidation and challenging effective management of these aqueous slurries. Current geotechnical engineering models of self-weight consolidation of tailings do not consider microbial contribution to sediment behavior, however, here we show that microorganisms indigenous to oil sands tailings c...

To provide the basic information about the release of heavy metals from the pyrite tailings of Huangjiagou pyrite mine, the pyrite tailings were investigated through a series of batch experiments under different initial pH of extractant, temperature, liquid-solid (LS) ratio, and soaking time conditions. Moreover, calcium carbonate was added in the pyrite tailings to determine the reduction effe...

Large amounts of leaching residue are released into tailings dams from mines, and their acid content can cause environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to research the feasibility and value of a leaching residue backfill recycling method. The combination of property detection, laboratory tests (the neutralization method, strength test and diffusivity test) and numerical simulation met...

Alphabetical by first author Investigating changes in arsenic speciation through the combination of in vitro simulated gastric fluid extractions and EXAFS spectroscopy Mining conducted throughout the state of California has left an environmental legacy of exposed mine wastes containing elevated levels of toxic metal(loid)s including arsenic (As), a known carcinogen. The relationships between sp...

There are numerous examples of past and present mine disposal into freshwater and marine coastal bays and riverine environments. Due to its high spatial resolution and extended water penetration, coastal light detection and ranging (LiDAR), coupled with multispectral scanning (MSS), has great promise for resolving disturbed shoreline features in low turbidity environments. Migrating mine tailin...

Mercury (Hg) release from inoperative Hg mines in the California Coast Range has been documented, but little is known about the release and transport mechanisms. In this study, tailings from Hg mines located in different geologic settings--New Idria (NI), a Si-carbonate Hg deposit, and Sulphur Bank (SB), a hot-spring Hg deposit--were characterized, and particle release from these wastes was stu...

Mining and ore processing activities are associated with changes in the surrounding environment and may pose a risk to human health, if adequate safety measures are not taken. The uranium ore generally varies worldwide between 0.03 – 3% U3O8, except for a few deposits where higher levels of uranium is reported. More than 95% of the ore is converted into waste material called “tailings”. Around ...