Advances in Mining Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Sustainable Science and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mine wastewater treatment; heavy metals removal; nature-based solutions; passive treatment systems; wastewater reuse
Interests: mine water treatment; recovery of minerals from mine wastewater; tailings water treatment and management; techno-economic evaluation of treatment technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: advanced membranes; nanomaterials; environmental chemistry; mine wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mining activities are essential for global economic growth, but generate large volumes of wastewater containing suspended solids, heavy metals, acids, and other contaminants. If untreated, this wastewater poses significant risks to ecosystems, water resources, and human health. With increasing environmental regulations, resource scarcity, and sustainability goals, there is a growing need for innovative, efficient, and cost-effective solutions for mining wastewater treatment and reuse. Recent advances in chemical, physical, and biological treatment technologies—combined with process integration, digital monitoring, and circular economy strategies—are transforming wastewater from a liability into a valuable resource. This Special Issue aims to highlight state-of-the-art research, emerging technologies, and practical applications that address the technical and environmental challenges of mining water management.
Recommended Topics
- Novel treatment methods for mine-impacted water.
- Active Treatment innovations and applications.
- Passive Treatment innovations.
- Heavy metal removal, recovery, and valorization technologies.
- Recovery of rare earth elements and critical minerals from wastewater.
- Tailings water treatment and management innovations.
- Nature-based solutions for treatment of mine water.
- Bioremediation and microbial processes for contaminant removal.
- Treatment of saline and hypersaline mine waters.
- Energy-efficient and low-cost treatment systems.
- Advanced membranes, adsorbents, and nanomaterials.
- Process integration and hybrid treatment approaches.
- Life-cycle cost analysis and techno-economic evaluation of treatment technologies.
- Monitoring, modelling, and automation in mining wastewater management.
- Regulatory frameworks driving innovation in mining water treatment and reuse.
- Social and community perspectives on mine water reuse and discharge.
- Industrial case studies and best practices in sustainable mine water management.
Dr. Ayanda Nomaswazi Shabalala
Prof. Dr. Vhahangwele Masindi
Prof. Dr. Philiswa Nosizo Nomngongo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- advanced treatment technologies
- advanced membranes and nanomaterials
- mine water remediation
- metal recovery and valorization
- nature-based solutions
- tailings management
- sustainable water reuse
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