Artificial Inoculation—Perspectives in Tailings Phytostabilization

Abstract

Intensive mining and processing activities worldwide resulted in the generation of huge amounts of waste (tailings), generally characterized as toxic, radioactive, and/or hazardous. The exposure potential and, hence, the risk posed by such wastes is enhanced by a general lack of vegetation. Phytostabilization has proven to be efficient in reducing this risk. However, establishing vegetation on tailing dumps may be expensive due to the intensive use of amendments and chemical fertilizers. In this article, investigations on artificial inoculation of mine tailings with bacterial strains as a means to improve the development of vegetative covers and reduce application cost by eliminating chemical fertilization are presented and discussed. The development of plants and microbial communities from tailings, as well as the impact of inoculation on metal uptake in plants, were studied. Experiments were carried out in greenhouse using two types of mine tailings (phosphogypsum and sulphidic tailings) from the Romanian Black Sea coast. Indigenous herbaceous plants were cultivated on tailings with the addition of chemical fertilizers versus bacterial inoculation. After a 6-month experimental period, excellent plant growth, which is associated with a rich microbial community, was observed in all inoculated treatments, in contrast with poor plant growth and microbiota from the chemical fertilization treatments alone. Additionally, artificial inoculation improved plant resistance to heavy metals by reducing the uptake of some toxic metals. Once a rich microbial community is established, inoculation may be discontinued. Based on these results, efficient and cost-effective phytostabilization schemes can be proposed.

Nurse effect and herbivory exclusion facilitate plant colonization in abandoned mine tailings storage facilities in north-central Chile

“…Abandoned tailing storage facilities (TSFs), for instance, are a potential source of pollution given their high metal concentrations (Badilla-Ohlbaum et al 2001, Frérot et al 2006, Ginocchio et al 2006. Loose tailings particulate matter is easily mobilized by wind, rain, and landslides, altering stream and soil quality, thus posing risks for crops, animal husbandry, wildlife, and human health (Petrisor et al 2004, Mendez & Maier 2008.…”

The Use of Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) to Remediate Soil Contaminated with Petroleum

“…The value of DHA might be small if sufficient substrate does not exist. Petrisor et al (2004) reported that the DHA value with a glucose substrate could be ten times larger than the value without glucose. Furthermore, not all enzymes are synthesized by a cell in the same amounts; some enzymes are present in far greater number than others (Maila and Cloete 2005).…”

Phytostabilization of massive mine wastes with native phytogenetic resources: potential for sustainable use and conservation of the native flora in north-central Chile

“…Unlike other existing methods, phytostabilization may be applied over larger areas and presents a favorable cost-benefi t ratio. This ratio may be further improved by using metallophyte plants with other uses (added value), which could also benefi t the economic development of local communities (Ginocchio, 2004;Petrisor et al, 2004;SONAMI, 2006).…”

“…Among the emerging technologies for the rehabilitation of degraded areas, phytostabilization has proven to be an effi cient, environmentally appropriate and relatively low cost approach (Berti and Cunningham, 2000;Petrisor et al, 2004). In relation to mining wastes, phytostabilization consists of setting out metallophyte plants, applying appropriate substrate amendments.…”