Assessment of the Possible Reuse of Extractive Waste Coming from Abandoned Mine Sites: Case Study in Gorno, Italy

Abstract

Supply of resources, a growing population, and environmental pollution are some of the main challenges facing the contemporary world. The rapid development of mining activities has produced huge amounts of waste. This waste, found in abandoned mine sites, provides the potential opportunity of extracting raw material. The current study, therefore, focuses on testing the validation of a shared methodology to recover extractive waste from abandoned mines, and applies this methodology to a case study in Gorno, northwest Italy. The methods focused on: (1) analyzing the impact of tailings and fine fraction of waste rock (<2 mm) on plants (Cress -Lepidium Sativum) to assess usability of both as soil additive, and (2) recovering raw materials from tailings and coarse fraction (>2 mm) of waste rock, by means of dressing methods like wet shaking table and froth flotation. The results indicated that the fine fraction of waste rock and tailings did not have detrimental effects on seed germination; however, there was marked decrease in plant growth. As for the recovery of raw materials, the coarse waste rock samples, crushed to <0.5 mm, produced a recovery of Cd, Ga, and Zn-as much as 66%, 56%, and 64%, respectively-using the wet shaking table. The same samples when crushed to 0.063-0.16 mm and used for froth flotation produced a recovery of Cd, Ga, and Zn of up to 61%, 72%, and 47%, respectively. The flotation experiment on tailings showed a recovery of Cd, Ga and Zn at pH 7 of 33%, 6% and 29% respectively. The present investigation highlights the methodologies used for extracting raw materials from extractive waste.

The re-direction of small deposit mining: Technological solutions for raw materials supply security in a whole systems context

“…For example, specific waste dumps at former sites of extraction in Italy pose a carcinogenic risk due to the presence of arsenic and a risk to groundwater due to the presence of nickel ( Antonella et al., 2020 , 2018 ). The recovery of critical and other raw materials from extractive waste is not a widespread practice, even where it is technologically feasible, economically viable and of environmental benefit ( EC, 2019 ; Mehta et al., 2020 ; Nevskaya et al., 2020 ). However, environmental and social licenses to operate may be predicated on the removal of pre-existing contamination, since specific requirements exist for both the minimisation and the recovery of extractive waste ( EC, 2015 , 2006 ).…”

Critical Minerals from Post-Processing Tailing. A Case Study from Bangka Island, Indonesia

“…Apart from the space they take up, which could be used more effectively and instability of the bedrock, they are responsible for harmful fumes, toxic gas exhaustion, dust-creation, acid mine drainage into groundwater [14]. Some authors worked on recovery of raw materials from mining wastes and tailings and the associated mitigation of environmental impacts [15][16][17]. The evaluation of the mineral potential of mining waste lies in agreement with the concept of the circular economy, sound use of resources, and reduction of the negative impact on the natural environment.…”

Manufacture and Characterization of Fired Bricks from Gold Mine Waste Rocks

“…It constitutes an inseparable part of the ore extract and treating process [1]. The management of mining wastes is becoming a world concern due to: (i) their high amount, which is estimated to be between 20 and 25 billion tons of solid waste each year [2]; (ii) their environmental impact [3]; (iii) their expensive restoration costs [4]; (iv) and potential human health risks [5][6][7]. The implementation of both efficient and sustainable solutions to better manage this waste is therefore becoming a more serious priority.…”