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2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 26375

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Almudena Ordoñez

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Guest Editor

Department of Mining Exploration and Prospecting, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: hydrogeology; geothermal use of mine water; environmental implicatons of mining
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Rodrigo Álvarez

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Guest Editor

Department of Mining Exploration and Prospecting, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: geochemistry; mineralogy and petrology applied to economic geology and environmental issues
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Eduardo De Miguel

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Guest Editor

Department of Energy and Fuels, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: human health risk assessment; contaminated site assessment; environmental geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a 2nd edition on Mining and the Environment, in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/mining_environment

Thousands of Mt of nonfuel mineral commodities are removed from the Earth’s crust each year, and tens of thousands of Mt of wastes are being produced annually around the world. The exploitation of mineral resources results in the generation of large volumes of wastes, which are usually disposed of in spoil heaps and tailings ponds on the mining site. Most of the environmental impacts of mining are linked to the release of harmful elements from those wastes. However, properly managed and with adequate controls, mine wastes can be used for backfilling mine workings or for the reclamation of mined areas.

Factors such as the local geology, hydrogeology, climate, type of resource, and mine characteristics determine the potentially negative effects of the exploitation. Open pit and underground mining works commonly extend below the water table and require pumping. Currently, mine water is collected and treated, whereas at historic mine sites, the uncontrolled discharge of water from audits and wastes leachates may reach receiving water bodies. Anthropogenic inputs of metals and metalloids into local ecosystems as a result of mining have been estimated at several million kilograms per year, posing a potential risk to the health of human receptors and ecosystems. In recent decades, as a response to mounting public pressure and stricter environmental regulations, the mining industry has taken strong actions to minimize its impact on the environment and has invested heavily in newly developed systems to recover resources from wastes and energy from mine water.

This Special Issue welcomes high-quality papers that examine the lights and shadows of the relationship of mining and the environment. We seek contributions from all around the world on the evaluation of the effects of mining on local populations and ecosystems, associated risks, and remediation options, as well as on the use of mining wastes and water as resources.

Dr. Almudena Ordoñez
Dr. Rodrigo Álvarez
Dr. Eduardo De Miguel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

mining
mine waste
mine water
risk assessment
polluted mine site
geochemistry and hydrogeochemistry

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytoplankton-Zooplankton Community Structure in Coal Mining Subsidence Lake

by Tingyu Fan, Hayat Amzil, Wangkai Fang, Liangji Xu, Akang Lu, Shun Wang, Xingming Wang, Yingxiang Chen, Jinhong Pan and Xiangping Wei

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 484; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010484 - 28 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1766

Abstract

Land subsidence from coal mining has shaped new artificial aquatic ecosystems, these subsidence lakes are known for their restricted ecological system, water pollution, and extreme habitat conditions. However, knowledge concerning the community structure of plankton in these types of water bodies is still limited. Therefore, both phytoplankton and zooplankton communities’ abundance, distribution, and diversity, as well as relations of these communities to physicochemical water quality variables were analyzed, alongside the interaction between phytoplankton and zooplankton groups. The results indicate zooplankton abundance was 842.375 to 186,355.0 ind./L. Biomass ranged from 0.3408 to 10.0842 mg/L. Phytoplankton abundance varied between 0.541 × 10⁶ cell/L and 52.340 × 10⁶ cell/L while phytoplankton wet biomass ranged from 0.5123 to 5.6532 mg/L. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that both the zooplankton and phytoplankton total densities were significantly correlated with nutrients (TN, TP, PO₄³⁻) and COD_cr; zooplankton abundance was significantly correlated with phytoplankton abundance. According to the biodiversity index of Shannon–Wiener, both phytoplankton and zooplankton revealed less biodiversity in the subsidence water region than in the Huihe river system and Xiangshun canal, with values ranging from 0.20 to 2.60 for phytoplankton and 1.18 to 2.45 for zooplankton; however, the phytoplankton community showed lower biodiversity index values compared to the zooplankton community. Overall, the knowledge gleaned from the study of plankton community structure and diversity represents a valuable approach for the evaluation of the ecological conditions within the subsidence lakes, which has significant repercussions for the management and protection of aquatic environments in mining areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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21 pages, 3376 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Valuation of Ecosystem Services Based on EU Carbon Allowances—Optimal Recovery for a Coal Mining Area

by Alicja Krzemień, Juan José Álvarez Fernández, Pedro Riesgo Fernández, Gregorio Fidalgo Valverde and Silverio Garcia-Cortes

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010381 - 26 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1394

Abstract

This paper presents a new way of valuing ecosystem services based on the price of EU carbon dioxide emission allowances. Its main advantage is that it facilitates the monetisation of non-provisioning ecosystem services, which is the Achilles heel of current frameworks. The research approach is built on the notion that land rehabilitation and ecological restoration involve trade-offs between ecosystem services. A quantitative assessment (valuation) of these trade-offs is necessary to make sound decisions. However, using different valuation methods to estimate monetary values creates a non-comparability in the valuation process that is difficult to correct. To address this problem, in the first place, the propagation of imprecise preference statements in hierarchical weighting is proposed, avoiding the non-comparability caused by the different current approaches while reducing the effort of preference elicitation. In the second place, to achieve consistency, monetisation of all non-provisioning ecosystem services was carried on the above comparison and the monetary valuation of the attribute with the most direct and market-related valuation possible: carbon sequestration, using the EU Emissions Trading System. A former coal mining area exemplifies the valuation of ecosystem services provided by alternative ecological restoration scenarios. The aim is to estimate their contribution to human well-being, understand the incentives faced by decision makers to manage ecosystems in different ways and assess the values of alternative solutions. An exercise is then carried out to show that the price of EU carbon permits (as of December 2021) after the price escalation that coincides with phase 4 of the allocation of allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System can be estimated by prioritising biodiversity over other ecosystem services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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21 pages, 6926 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Influence of Mining Activities on the Quality of Deep Karst Groundwater Based on Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Hydrochemical Analysis

by Chen Li, Herong Gui, Yan Guo, Jiayu Chen, Jun Li, Jiying Xu and Hao Yu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17042; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417042 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1555

Abstract

Long-term mining activities have changed the hydrogeochemical evolution process of groundwater and threatened the safe use of groundwater. By using the methods of hydrochemistry and multivariate statistical analysis, this study determined the hydrogeochemical evolution mechanism affecting the quality of karst groundwater by analyzing the conventional hydrochemistry data of the karst groundwater of the Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation in Hengyuan Coal Mine in the recent 12 years. The results show that, under the disturbance of mining, the quality of karst groundwater in Taiyuan Formation is poor, mainly because the contents of Na⁺+K⁺ and SO₄²⁻ are too high to allow usage as drinking water. The reason for the high content of SO₄²⁻ in karst groundwater lies in the dissolution of gypsum and the oxidation of pyrite, and the high content of Na⁺+K⁺ lies in the cation exchange. Influenced by the stratum grouting, the circulation of karst groundwater is improved, the cation exchange is weakened, and the desulfurization is enhanced. In the future, it is predicted that the hydrochemical type of karst groundwater in Taiyuan Formation in the study area will evolve from SO₄-Ca·Mg type to HCO₃-Ca Mg type. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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14 pages, 2186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Risk Assessment and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in the Soil of an Opencast Mine in Xinjiang

by Tingyu Fan, Jinhong Pan, Xingming Wang, Shun Wang and Akang Lu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15522; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315522 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1336

Abstract

To study the influence of open-pit coal mining on the surrounding soil environment and human health, this study selected the Hongshaquan coal mine in Xinjiang as the research area and took 31 soil samples from the dump and artificial forest of the mining area. The contents of seven heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the soil were analyzed. The pollution index method, geoaccumulation index method (I_geo), potential ecological risk index method, health ecological risk assessment model and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate and analyze the heavy metal pollution, potential ecological risk and health ecological risk of the soil. The results showed that compared with the background value of soil in Xinjiang, except for Pb, other heavy metal elements were essentially pollution-free and belonged to the low ecological risk area. The health risk assessment model showed that Pb and As were the main pollution factors of noncarcinogenic risk, and that exposure to Ni, Pb and As had a lower carcinogenic risk. The PCA showed that Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, As and Zn in the dump were from transportation and industrial activities, Cd was from natural resources, and Cr, Zn, Ni, Cd and Pb were from transportation in the artificial forest. Cu came from industrial sources and As from soil parent material. The dump was more seriously disturbed by human factors than by artificial forests. Our research provides a reference for heavy metal pollution and source analysis caused by mining. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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32 pages, 34927 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Regional Strata Movement during Deep Mining of Erdos Coal Field and Its Control

by Guojian Zhang, Zhiyang Wang, Guangli Guo, Wei Wei, Fugang Wang, Leilei Zhong and Yaqiang Gong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14902; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214902 - 12 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1193

Abstract

Disasters such as rock bursts and mine earthquakes became increasingly serious with the increase in mining depth in Erdos Coal Field and became serious problems that restrict high-strength continuous mining of coal mines. In this study, strata movement and energy polling distribution of ultrathick weak-bonding sandstone layers were controlled by the local filling–caving multi-faces coordinated mining technique, which was based on the analysis of subsidence and overlying structural characteristics in the Yingpanhao mining area. Moreover, the influencing factors and the control effect laws were investigated. Surface subsidence and energy polling distribution control effects of different mining modes were compared, which confirmed the superiority of local filling based on the main key stratum. According to the results, the maximum surface subsidence velocity of the first mining face was 1.24 mm/d, which indicates the presence of a logistic functional relationship between the mining degree and subsidence factors. When the mining degree was close to full mining, the practical surface subsidence was smaller than the corresponding logistic functional value. The largest influencing factor for the strata movement control effect of partial filling mining based on the main key stratum was the width of the caving face, followed by the filling ratio, section pillar width, and width of the filling face, successively. With respect to the influencing degree on the energy polling distribution of partial filling mining based on the main key stratum, the order followed as section pillar width > filling ratio > caving working face > width of backfilling working face. Additionally, the comparative analysis from the perspectives of control effect, resource utilization, and cost-effectiveness demonstrated that partial filling mining based on the main key stratum was one of the techniques with high cost-effectiveness in controlling strata movement and relieving rock bursts, mining earthquakes, and subsidence disasters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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13 pages, 2120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Restoring Coal Mining-Affected Areas: The Missing Ecosystem Services

by Alicja Krzemień, Juan José Álvarez Fernández, Pedro Riesgo Fernández, Gregorio Fidalgo Valverde and Silverio Garcia-Cortes

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14200; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114200 - 30 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1230

Abstract

Multi-criteria decision analysis and cost-benefit analysis, either individually or in combination, have been used as the preferred tools to develop ecosystem services valuation, presenting significant discrepancies and variations between the calculated values. To counteract this problem, a new framework was developed based on a hierarchical weighting of the non-provisioning ecosystem services, using biodiversity as the reference ecosystem service since it is the easiest to apprehend. Their monetisation was made using the average price of EU carbon dioxide emission allowances during 2019 and 2020, obtaining reasonable and comparable results in line with what was expected for the study region. However, the revised EU Emissions Trading System Directive, which will apply from 2021–2030, generated a price escalation of carbon allowances, making it necessary to adjust or rethink the proposed framework. To achieve this goal, the paper proposes the introduction of new vectors or “missing ecosystem services” to counterbalance efforts to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions without necessarily removing humans from the equation: welfare and human health. As the linkages regarding ecosystem health, ecological restoration and human health are not well known, only welfare was incorporated into the framework. The results were highly satisfactory, in line with what was expected for the study region and the ones obtained before the price escalation of carbon allowances that started in 2021. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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18 pages, 8350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

RecMin Variograms: Visualisation and Three-Dimensional Calculation of Variograms in Block Modelling Applications in Geology and Mining

by Arturo Buelga Díaz, César Castañón Fernández, Gonzalo Ares, Daniel Arias Prieto and Isidro Diego Álvarez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12454; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912454 - 29 Sep 2022

Viewed by 2284

Abstract

Variogram calculation is a fundamental tool for studying ore grade data in mineral deposits. It allows the discovery of hidden structures within the data and preferential directions of mineralization where the geological continuity is longer. The variogram allows us to classify samples and to define both the search radii for interpolation and the use of kriging as an interpolation and resource classification method. It is not difficult to use it in one dimension; complexity increases in two dimensions as the necessity to search for possible grade anisotropies in all directions arises. Three-dimensionally it is even more difficult to try to define the parameters of lag, bandwidth, and tolerances that define the data of the variogram calculation algorithm. There are rules of thumb to help in the development, but a trial-and-error approach is used in order to find enough sample pairs to allow the generation of variograms truly representative of the data. In this paper, two strategies are shown to help in variogram construction, the use of variogram maps and the graphical representation of the pair search areas (cones or pencils). The freeware tool RecMin Variograms has been developed and is freely available for download at its website; it is easy to learn and use. R code based on RGeostats libraries is used to check the operation and results of RecMin Variograms. Applying geostatistics to mineral deposits is essential to know the areas with the highest grades, thus allowing exact planning of future mining exploitation and minimizing mine footprint and environmental impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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13 pages, 1858 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Microanalysis and Sequential Chemical Extraction as Tools for Reliable Environmental Mobility Assessment of Sb and Other Metals

by Jéssica Álvarez-Quintana, Almudena Ordóñez, Efrén García-Ordiales and Rodrigo Álvarez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9609; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159609 - 04 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1162

Abstract

Sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) are widely used in environmental studies to infer the chemical and/or mineralogical forms of pollutants of concern in soils and sediments. Although there is no general agreement among the scientific community, these methods have shown some limitations, especially those with a lack of objectivity in their interpretation. In this work, a soil sampling campaign was carried out in an area affected by an abandoned Sb mine. Samples (0–15 cm) were carefully prepared and analyzed by an SEP. They were also studied by conventional mineralogical methods (optical and electronic microscopy, both scanning and transmission, with a coupled energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer). When comparing the results obtained from both techniques, some discrepancies are highlighted, with As, Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn as elements of concern. For Sb, Cu, Pb and As the predominant fraction (excluding the residual one) is that associated with organic matter (from 8.54 for Sb to 18.90% for Cu). The fractions of pollutants linked to Fe and/or Mn oxides are quantitatively important for As, Pb and Zn (6.46%, 12.05% and 7.43%, respectively) and almost negligible for Cu and Sb. On the contrary, analyses carried out by EDX at a grain scale pointed out that no detectable quantities of the elements of concern were present on the surface of the organic particles. Sb and Pb were always detectable in Fe oxides (up to 1.84 and 5.76%, respectively). Regarding the role of the clayey fraction, the only disagreement between the employed SEP and the microanalysis is in relation to As. Arsenic bound to clay minerals was found to be an order of magnitude lower than As associated with Fe oxides (0.56% and 6.46%, respectively); in contrast, EDX microanalyses showed similar As contents in both groups. Given the objectiveness of EDX microanalysis, these differences should be considered inaccuracies in the interpretation of the sequential extraction results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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28 pages, 9636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conceptual Modelling of Two Large-Scale Mine Water Geothermal Energy Schemes: Felling, Gateshead, UK

by David Banks, Jonathan Steven, Adam Black and John Naismith

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1643; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031643 - 31 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3520

Abstract

A conceptual model is presented of two MW-scale low enthalpy mine water geothermal heat pump schemes that are being developed in Tyneside, UK. The Abbotsford Road scheme (54.955° N 1.556° W) is operating (as of May 2021) at 20–30 L/s, abstracting groundwater (and heat) from an unmined Coal Measures Upper Aquifer System (UAS) and reinjecting to the deeper High Main Aquifer System (HMAS), associated with the High Main (E) coal workings and the overlying High Main Post sandstone. A similar scheme, 700 m away at Nest Road (54.959° N 1.564° W), abstracts at 40 L/s from the HMAS, recovers heat from the mine water and reinjects the thermally spent water to deeper workings associated with the Hutton (L), Harvey-Beaumont (N) (and possibly other) coal seams, termed the Deep Mined Aquifer System (DMAS). The three aquifer systems are vertically discontinuous and possess different hydraulic (storage, transmissivity and continuity) properties that would have been near-impossible to predict in advance of drilling. At the sites, 10 boreholes were drilled to obtain five usable production/reinjection boreholes. Development of mine water geothermal energy schemes thus carries a significant project risk, and also a potential ongoing maintenance burden related to iron hydroxide scaling. These do not preclude mine water geothermal as a useful low carbon heating and cooling technology, but the involvement of skilled hydrogeologists, hydrochemists, mining and groundwater engineers is a pre-requisite. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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22 pages, 5136 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological and Health Risk Assessments of an Abandoned Gold Mine (Remance, Panama): Complex Scenarios Need a Combination of Indices

by Ana Cristina González-Valoys, José María Esbrí, Juan Antonio Campos, Jonatha Arrocha, Eva María García-Noguero, Tisla Monteza-Destro, Ernesto Martínez, Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta, Eric Gutiérrez, Miguel Vargas-Lombardo, Efrén Garcia-Ordiales, Rosario García-Giménez, Francisco Jesús García-Navarro and Pablo Higueras

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9369; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179369 - 05 Sep 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3327

Abstract

The derelict Remance gold mine is a possible source of pollution with potentially toxic elements (PTEs). In the study area, diverse mine waste has been left behind and exposed to weather conditions, and poses risks for soil, plants and water bodies, and also for the health of local inhabitants. This study sought to perform an ecological and health risk assessment of derelict gold mining areas with incomplete remediation, including: (i) characterizing the geochemical distribution of PTEs; (ii) assessing ecological risk by estimating the pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (RI); (iii) assessing soil health by dehydrogenase activity; and iv) establishing non-carcinogenic (HI) and carcinogenic risks (CR) for local inhabitants. Soil health seems to depend on not only PTE concentrations, but also on organic matter (OM). Both indexes (PLI and RI) ranged from high to extreme near mining and waste accumulation sites. As indicated by both the HI and CR results, the mining area poses a health risk for local inhabitants and particularly for children. For this reason, it will be necessary to set up environmental management programs in the areas that are most affected (tailings and surrounding areas) and accordingly establish the best remediation strategies to minimize risks for the local population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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Review

Jump to: Research

41 pages, 16569 KiB

Open AccessReview

Past, Present, and Future of Copper Mine Tailings Governance in Chile (1905–2022): A Review in One of the Leading Mining Countries in the World

by Carlos Cacciuttolo and Edison Atencio

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13060; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013060 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6300

Abstract

How mine tailings storage facilities (TSF) are managed reflects the history, regulatory framework, and environment of a country and locale of the mine. Despite many attempts to find an environmentally friendly strategy for tailings management and governance that balances the needs of society and the ecosystem, there is no worldwide agreement regarding the best practices for tailings management and governance. This article reviews the evolution of copper tailings management and governance in Chile, current practices, and changes that could be or may need to be made to improve practices in response to local environmental conditions and local tolerance for risk. The progress to date in developing a holistic tailings management strategy is summarized. This article also describes recent proposals for the best available technologies (BATs), case histories of Chilean TSF using conventional technology, thickened tailings, paste tailings, filtered tailings, water use reduction, tailings reprocessing to obtain rare earth elements (REEs), circular economy, submarine deep-sea tailings disposal, and ways to avoid failure in a seismic region. Finally, the Chilean tailings industry’s pending issues and future challenges in reducing the socioenvironmental impacts of tailings are presented, including advances made and lessons learned in developing more environmentally friendly solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities)

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