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Minerals
Special Issues
Characterization and Management of Mine Waters
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Characterization and Management of Mine Waters

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 1874

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Patrícia Gomes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Campus de Gualtar, Institute of Earth Sciences, Pole of University of Minho, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: wetlands; geochemistry; environment; environmental remediation; acid mine drainage
Dr. Teresa Valente

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: mine waters and mine wastes; acid mine drainage and acid rock drainage; environmental mineralogy; biomonitoring; environmental monitoring and modeling of mine sites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Juan Antelo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: environmental chemistry; soil science; organic compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water resulting from mining activities, regardless of classification, is often a source of environmental problems. Acid mine drainage represents an extreme type of water pollution. Still, neutral and alkaline waters associated with mining processes may also be of great concern due to the presence of potentially toxic elements. Therefore, remediation and management are major environmental issues that the mining sector should face. The investigations that have been developed transpose topics ranging from the special hydrochemistry, expressed by the pH, concentrations of potentially toxic elements and sulfate; the interaction with the biosphere, namely, acidophilic algae and other extremophile organisms; biodiversity reduction; and ecological risks, also affecting human health.

Furthermore, water management is an issue of concern, especially in the context of climate change. In this sense, the need for novel remediation techniques that allow water reuse is urgent. After years of applying engineering approaches with high associated costs, nowadays, methodologies based on natural solutions, which consist of replicating natural habitats, such as phytoremediation, are more appreciated.

However, even applying environmental improvement techniques, constant monitoring of areas affected by these waters is essential.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to bring novel contributions to this theme, developed around the issues of mine water characterization and management.

Dr. Patrícia Gomes
Dr. Teresa Valente
Dr. Juan Antelo
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. Minerals 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 2400 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

  • mine waters
  • acid mine drainage
  • mine-water-biosphere interactions
  • water contamination
  • risk assessment
  • environmental remediation
  • nature-based solutions
  • circular economy
  • monitoring

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1764 KiB  
Article
Effect of Fractionation Columns on the Elution of Rare Earth Elements Recovered from Acid Mine Drainage
by Gabriela Cordeiro Silva, Clauson Souza, Pedro Augusto Possa Vicente Sacramento Ferreira, Liliani Pacheco Tavares Nazareth and Ana Claudia Queiroz Ladeira
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050451 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 217
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REE) can be found in expressive contents in different secondary sources, such as acid mine drainage (AMD). This work evaluated separation of light and heavy rare earth elements (REE) from an acid mine drainage (AMD) generated in a former uranium [...] Read more.
Rare earth elements (REE) can be found in expressive contents in different secondary sources, such as acid mine drainage (AMD). This work evaluated separation of light and heavy rare earth elements (REE) from an acid mine drainage (AMD) generated in a former uranium mine in Brazil by using ion exchange. This AMD presents pH 3.50, total REE content of 97 mg L−1 and 1.3 g L−1 of sulfate and was used in the REE loading experiments. Loading experiments were carried out in columns using a commercial strong acid cation (SAC) exchange resin. Elution was performed with 0.01 mol L−1 NH4EDTA in systems with one, two and three columns. Regarding the loading step, the resin presented a total loading capacity of 0.58 mmol g−1. The resin proved to be more selective for light REE with adsorption efficiency of 78% and 48% for heavy REE. Regarding elution, high efficiencies between 90 and 100% were achieved for REE. The final REE solution is approximately 10 times more concentrated in the liquor related to the acid mine water. Better fractionation results were achieved for the system with three columns. Although the complete separation of the REE into pure elements was not possible, two distinct fractions of heavy and light REE could be obtained, and La was completely separated from the other REE. In order to improve fractionation and separate the REE into individual ones, the concentrated fractions can proceed to subsequent ion exchange systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization and Management of Mine Waters)
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14 pages, 4470 KiB  
Article
Cultivation of Microalgae (Scenedesmus sp.) Using Coal Mining Wastewater and Separation via Coagulation/Flocculation and Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)
by Marcio Alexandre Nicknig, André Camargo de Azevedo, Henrique Alberton de Oliveira and Ivo André Homrich Schneider
Minerals 2024, 14(4), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040426 - 20 Apr 2024
Viewed by 352
Abstract
Algae growth can be carried out in treated mine waters, providing biomass and helping to achieve the standards for water discharge. However, efficient separation of algae from the aqueous medium is crucial. The present work investigated the stability of Scenedesmus sp. in treated [...] Read more.
Algae growth can be carried out in treated mine waters, providing biomass and helping to achieve the standards for water discharge. However, efficient separation of algae from the aqueous medium is crucial. The present work investigated the stability of Scenedesmus sp. in treated acid drainage from coal mining and assessed the harvesting of microalgae via coagulation/flocculation and dissolved air flotation (DAF). Successful algae growth was achieved, with cells remaining suspended in the water at a wide range of pH values, requiring the use of reagents for destabilization/aggregation. Algae coagulation/flocculation was attained with the use of tannin or ferric chloride associated with an anionic polymer flocculant at a pH of 8.0 ± 0.1. When combined with the flocculant, both tannin and the inorganic coagulant proved effective in enhancing floc stability and hydrophobicity for the DAF process. In summary, this operational approach facilitated algae biomass recovery and significantly reduced turbidity in the treated water. Finally, a schematic diagram illustrating the algae cultivation and harvesting process is presented, offering a practical alternative to acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment refinement associated with algae biomass production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization and Management of Mine Waters)
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19 pages, 7164 KiB  
Article
Geochemical Mapping and Reference Values of Potentially Toxic Elements in a Contaminated Mining Region: Upper Velhas River Basin Stream Sediments, Iron Quadrangle, Brazil
by Raphael Vicq, Mariangela G. P. Leite, Lucas P. Leão, Hermínio A. Nallini Júnior and Teresa Valente
Minerals 2023, 13(12), 1545; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13121545 - 14 Dec 2023
Viewed by 911
Abstract
The Upper Velhas River Basin, in the mining region of the Iron Quadrangle, is one of the most polluted basins in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The region has been exploited for gold and iron, among other substances of interest. In addition to abandoned mines, [...] Read more.
The Upper Velhas River Basin, in the mining region of the Iron Quadrangle, is one of the most polluted basins in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The region has been exploited for gold and iron, among other substances of interest. In addition to abandoned mines, active works and mineralized rocks contribute to the discharge of contaminated waters into the rivers and streams. Thus, high-density geochemical mapping with the determination of reference values has become very important, as it allows the spatial distribution of contaminant elements to be obtained, contributing to the recognition of areas with deviant values in the basin. Two hundred and eight sediment samples were collected from streams throughout the Velhas River Basin, with a density of one sample per 15 km2. Geochemical maps were compiled using the distance-weighted inverse interpolation method, and concentrations were distinguished from anomalies using the box plot Upper Inner Fence technique. It was found that 73–78% of the basin area does not present geogenic and anthropic anomalies, with values up to the third quartile for As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn. However, anomalies related to human actions, mainly mining works and rock types, occupy 2 to 11% of the area. This first high-density mapping in the Upper Velhas River Basin found numerous streams with concentrations of the elements studied above the Probable Effect Level, allowing us to determine which locations, cities, and river sub-basins are exposed to environmental risks and should be monitored and protected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization and Management of Mine Waters)
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