Assessment of the potential use of construction and demolition waste as a component for the recovery of areas degraded by mining

Abstract

The evolution of modern civilization brings with it a series of challenges regarding the management of its waste. Proper disposal of construction and demolition waste (CDW) has become a challenge across the planet. Parallel to this challenge, there is another, that of recovering areas degraded by mining. The objective of the present work was to characterize through X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) samples of CDW collected during the period from October 2018 to October 2019 in a recycling plant and to determine its potential as an element in the production of soils in the recovery of areas degraded by mining. Calcite and quartz were found in the CDW samples, as well as trace elements such as Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, essential elements for plant nutrition, capable of restoring the chemical and physical conditions of soils. The results obtained showed that Chromium (Cr) and Barium (Ba) elements were found above the limits of CONAMA Resolution 420/2009 (Brazil). A comparison was made with Orden AAA/661/2013 (Spain), which guides the disposal of CDW in mining areas as a form of final disposal and mine closure. The presence of heavy metals is considered normal in Brazilian soils, some being considered essential micronutrients. The results provide data to affirm that the CDWs can be used in soil production to recover areas degraded by mining, through the application of tests on a larger scale and with a soil-water-plant interface.