Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Characterization and Management of Mine Waters”
1
Institute of Earth Sciences, Pole of University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
2
CRETUS, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2025, 15(11), 1193; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111193
Submission received: 9 October 2025
/
Accepted: 10 November 2025
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Published: 13 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization and Management of Mine Waters)
The characterization and management of mine waters remain critical topics in environmental sciences, given the long-term impacts of mining activities on water quality, ecosystems, and surrounding communities. Despite decades of research, several knowledge gaps persist, particularly regarding the integration of geochemical, mineralogical, biological, and modelling approaches to predict and mitigate the environmental consequences of mine water discharge.
The Special Issue “Characterization and Management of Mine Waters” has successfully brought together a collection of studies that advance our understanding of the complex processes governing mine-impacted environments. The published contributions explore a diverse range of topics, including mine effluent characterization (contributions 1 and 2), geochemical and risk assessment (contribution 3), and remediation strategies (contributions 4 and 5). Collectively, these studies address significant gaps in knowledge regarding mine water contamination pathways, metal mobility, and sustainable treatment approaches. Three papers highlight the integration of advanced monitoring and modelling tools to predict contaminant transport and evaluate treatment efficiency under variable environmental conditions (contributions 1, 2, 3). The first one (contribution 1) investigates the geochemical behavior of anoxic drainage from an abandoned gallery, concluding that under normal conditions these waters pose little environmental risk. Another study evaluated the separation of light and heavy rare earth elements from acid mine drainage, using strong acid cation exchange (contribution 2). Also, the focusing on mapping, risk assessment, evaluated by environmental geochemistry was applied (contribution 3). Other contributions emphasized innovative remediation techniques, such as passive treatment systems and bioremediation approaches, which have proven effective in reducing metal and sulfate concentrations while supporting ecosystem recovery. These include processes such as algal growth in treated mine waters (contribution 4) and other in nature-based solutions through organic substrates (contribution 5).
This Special Issue demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of mine water research, bridging geochemistry, environmental engineering, and ecological management. Importantly, it underlines the critical role of combining field investigations, laboratory experiments, and numerical modelling to develop evidence-based solutions for sustainable mine water management.
Looking forward, the research presented here opens avenues for future studies on long-term monitoring, the optimization of low-cost remediation technologies, and the development of integrated frameworks that couple environmental risk assessment with circular economy strategies. Furthermore, understanding the socio-environmental impacts of mine waters remains essential for informing policy and guiding sustainable mining practices.
We, as Guest Editors, hope that this collection of articles serves as a valuable reference for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers engaged in mine water management and remediation. We encourage continued collaboration and innovation in this field.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, and methodology, P.G.; validation, P.G., T.V. and J.A.; investigation, P.G.; resources, P.G. and T.V.; writing—original draft preparation, P.G.; writing—review and editing, P.G., T.V. and J.A.; visualization, P.G.; supervision, T.V.; project administration, P.G.; funding acquisition, P.G., T.V. and J.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Acknowledgments
We would like to express our gratitude to all the authors, reviewers, and the editorial team for their invaluable contributions and commitment, which have made this Special Issue a thorough and up-to-date resource for researchers and practitioners in the field of mine water management.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
List of Contributions
- Tarassov, M.; Tarassova, E.; Lyubomirova, V.; Stavrev, M.; Tacheva, E.; Benderev, A. Seasonal Variations in Ochreous Precipitates and Drainage Waters in the Grantcharitsa Tungsten Deposit, Western Rhodopes, Bulgaria. Minerals 2024, 14, 1090. https://doi.org/10.3390/min14111090.
- Silva, G.; Souza, C.; Ferreira, P.; Nazareth, L.; Ladeira, A. Effect of Fractionation Columns on the Elution of Rare Earth Elements Recovered from Acid Mine Drainage. Minerals 2024, 14, 451. https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050451.
- Vicq, R.; Leite, M.; Leão, L.; Nallini Júnior, H.; Valente, T. Geochemical Mapping and Reference Values of Potentially Toxic Elements in a Contaminated Mining Region: Upper Velhas River Basin Stream Sediments, Iron Quadrangle, Brazil. Minerals 2023, 13, 1545. https://doi.org/10.3390/min13121545.
- Nicknig, M.; Azevedo, A.; de Oliveira, H.; Schneider, I. Cultivation of Microalgae (Scenedesmus sp.) Using Coal Mining Wastewater and Separation via Coagulation/Flocculation and Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF). Minerals 2024, 14, 426. https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040426.
- Gandy, C.; Christgen, B.; Jarvis, A. Optimising Nature-Based Treatment Systems for Management of Mine Water. Minerals 2025, 15, 765. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070765.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Gomes, P.; Valente, T.; Antelo, J. Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Characterization and Management of Mine Waters”. Minerals 2025, 15, 1193. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111193
AMA Style
Gomes P, Valente T, Antelo J. Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Characterization and Management of Mine Waters”. Minerals. 2025; 15(11):1193. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111193
Chicago/Turabian StyleGomes, Patrícia, Teresa Valente, and Juan Antelo. 2025. "Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Characterization and Management of Mine Waters”" Minerals 15, no. 11: 1193. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111193
APA StyleGomes, P., Valente, T., & Antelo, J. (2025). Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Characterization and Management of Mine Waters”. Minerals, 15(11), 1193. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111193
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