State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Hubei Key Laboratory of Mine Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, 435003, China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Dec;26(35):35657-35669. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-06555-3. Epub 2019 Nov 15.
Mine tailings, generated from the extraction, processing, and utilization of mineral resources, have resulted in serious acid mine drainage (AMD) pollution. Recently, scholars are paying more attention to two alternative strategies for resource recovery and ecological reclamation of mine tailings that help to improve the current tailing management, and meanwhile reduce the negative environmental outcomes. This review suggests that the principles of geochemical evolution may provide new perspective for the future in-depth studies regarding the pollution control and risk management. Recent advances in three recycling approaches of tailing resources, termed metal recovery, agricultural fertilizer, and building materials, are further described. These recycling strategies are significantly conducive to decrease the mine tailing stocks for problematic disposal. In this regard, the future recycling approaches should be industrially applicable and technically feasible to achieve the sustainable mining operation. Finally, the current state of tailing phytoremediation technologies is also discussed, while identification and selection of the ideal plants, which is perceived to be the excellent candidates of tailing reclamation, should be the focus of future studies. Based on the findings and perspectives of this review, the present study can act as an important reference for the academic participants involved in this promising field.
矿山尾矿是在矿产资源的开采、加工和利用过程中产生的，已导致严重的酸性矿山排水（AMD）污染。最近，学者们越来越关注两种替代策略，即资源回收和矿山尾矿的生态复垦，这有助于改善当前的尾矿管理，同时减少负面的环境影响。本综述认为，地球化学演化原理可能为未来的污染控制和风险管理提供新的视角。进一步描述了尾矿资源的三种回收方法（金属回收、农业肥料和建筑材料）的最新进展。这些回收策略对于减少有问题的尾矿处置库存非常有利。在这方面，未来的回收方法应该具有工业适用性和技术可行性，以实现可持续的采矿作业。最后，还讨论了当前的尾矿植物修复技术的现状，而鉴定和选择理想的植物，被认为是尾矿复垦的优秀候选者，应成为未来研究的重点。基于本综述的发现和观点，本研究可以为从事这一有前途领域的学术参与者提供重要参考。
