Biogeochemical dynamics of nutrients and rare earth elements (REEs) during natural succession from biocrusts to pioneer plants in REE mine tailings in southern China

Guo, Min; Zhong, Xi; Liu, Wen-Shen; Wang, Guobao; Chao, Yuanqing; Huot, Hermine; Qiu, Rongliang; Morel, Jean-Louis; Watteau, Françoise; Séré, Geoffroy; Tang, Yetao

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154361

Cited by 30 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Qualitative and semiquantitative analyses of XRD patterns showed similar mineralogical compositions of the tailings (Figure B) and the original ores (Figure S1), including quartz (PDF #97-004-1414), microcline (PDF #97-003-5335), kaolinite (PDF #04-010-4800), and muscovite (PDF#001-075-0948), indicating that the desorption and cation exchange processes did not transform the mineral composition. Similar results have also been reported in previous studies. , …”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

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Insights into the Selective Transformation of Ceria Sulfation and Iron/Manganese Mineralization for Enhancing the Selective Recovery of Rare Earth Elements

Zhou

Xiao

Guo

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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To cope with the urgent and unprecedented demands for rare earth elements (REEs) in sophisticated industries, increased attention has been paid to REE recovery from recycled streams. However, the similar geochemical behaviors of REEs and transition metals often result in poor separation performance due to nonselectivity. Here, a unique approach based on the selective transformation between ceria sulfation and iron/ manganese mineralization was proposed, leading to the enhancement of the selective separation of REEs. The mechanism of the selective transformation of minerals could be ascribed to the distinct geochemical and metallurgical properties of ions, resulting in different combinations of cations and anions. According to hardsoft acid-base (HSAB) theory, the strong Lewis acid of Ce(III) was inclined to combine with the hard base of sulfates (SO 4 2− ), while the borderline acid of Fe(II)/Mn(II) prefers to interact with oxygen ions (O 2-). Both in situ characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculation further revealed that such selective transformation might trigger by the generation of an oxygen vacancy on the surface of CeO 2 , leading to the formation of Ce 2 (SO 4 ) 3 and Fe/Mn spinel. Although the electron density difference of the configurations (CeO 2−x -SO 4 , Fe 2 O 3−x -SO 4 , and MnO 2−x -SO 4 ) shared a similar direction of the electron transfer from the metals to the sulfate-based oxygen, the higher electron depletion of Ce (Q Ce = −1.91 e) than Fe (Q Fe = −1.66 e) and Mn (Q Mn = −1.64 e) indicated the higher stability in the Ce−O−S complex, resulting in the larger adsorption energy of CeO 2−x -SO 4 (−6.88 eV) compared with Fe 2 O 3−x -SO 4 (−3.10 eV) and MnO 2−x -SO 4 (−2.49 eV). This research provided new insights into the selective transformation of REEs and transition metals in pyrometallurgy and thus offered a new approach for the selective recovery of REEs from secondary resources.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Similar results have also been reported in previous studies. 41,42 With a negatively charged surface, clay minerals are favorable for REE(III) adsorption. Thus, the finer particles with higher contents of clay minerals generally contain more REEs.…”

Section: Characteristics and Mineralogy Of The Tailingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the Selective Transformation of Ceria Sulfation and Iron/Manganese Mineralization for Enhancing the Selective Recovery of Rare Earth Elements

Zhou

Xiao

Guo

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Additionally, for detoxification, low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) serve as important ligands in the chelation and exclusion of toxic metals in rhizosphere (Chen et al, 2017). LMWOAs could also underlie the root-induced reduction in extractable REEs observed in a previous field investigation (Guo et al, 2022). The F I G U R E 3 Plant-soil feedback effects of individual species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Grasses often act as pioneer and nurse plants in the initial substrate of many disturbed ecosystems (Colin et al., 2019; Hao et al., 2020; Rabêlo et al., 2021). In the REE mine tailings, Miscanthus sinensis prevails as a native pioneer and locally dominant plant species (Guo et al., 2022). Nevertheless, many grasses, as well as leguminous and woody plants can take decades to establish on mine wastes (Bradshaw, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abiotic legacies mediate plant–soil feedback during early vegetation succession on rare earth element mine tailings

Zhu,

Liu,

Chen

et al. 2024

Journal of Applied Ecology

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An increasing number of studies have shown how feedback interactions between plants and soil can influence primary and secondary succession. However, very little is known about the patterns and mechanisms of such plant–soil feedbacks on stressed mine tailings ecosystem, which can be severely contaminated by a range of toxic elements. In a two‐phase plant–soil feedback experiment based on the rare earth element (REE) mine tailing soil, we investigated biotic (changes in bacterial and fungal communities) and abiotic (changes in chemical properties) legacies of three pioneer grass species, and examined feedback effects of three grasses, two legumes and two woody plants with different root traits. Positive plant–soil feedbacks were found in Miscanthus sinensis, Paspalum thunbergii and Tephrosia candida, and neutral feedbacks were observed in the other four plants. These effects corresponded with an increase in nutrients and total organic carbon, as well as a decrease in acidity and extractable aluminium and REEs. There were less signs of biotic changes in the conditioned tailings. The correlation analysis suggested a relationship between plants' responses to soil legacies and root traits, as well as root economics spectrum. On the mine tailings, acquisitive species with higher specific root length appeared to have greater potential for positive feedback. Synthesis and application. Our study shows that early succession on contaminated rare earth element mine tailings may lead to more positive plant–soil feedback than predicted based on results of non‐contaminated soils, mainly due to the alleviation of abiotic stress in tailings. Therefore, the improvement of specific abiotic soil stress and the trait‐based selection of acquisitive plants should be preferentially considered to promote the primary restoration of degraded land.

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“…Although the physicochemical properties of mining wastelands are markedly different from those of natural bedrock‐derived parent materials, the drivers of soil formation are the same, and understanding how these drivers interact is key for manipulating natural processes of soil formation toward desired ecosystem endpoints (Nyenda et al 2021). Soil properties change imperceptibly, resulting in changes in soil physicochemical properties and soil enzyme activities (Guo et al 2022; Yin et al 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy metal pollution assessment and soil property evolution under a natural ecological restoration process in a manganese wasteland in China

Liu,

Huang,

Wei

et al. 2023

Restoration Ecology

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The space‐for‐time method was used to track changes in heavy metals (HMs), selected physicochemical properties and soil enzyme activities at different restoration ages, that is 5, 10, and 25 years (named R5, R10, and R25, respectively) and in a natural forest (NF, age > 100 years, as the control) in the Daxin manganese (Mn) wastelands in China. The results showed that the HM concentrations decreased over time, with Mn exhibiting the highest concentration, followed by zinc, copper, and cadmium; all the studied sites exhibited heavy pollution levels based on the Nemerow multifactor index, with a very high potential ecological risk (RI) level in R5, moderate RI in R10 and R25, and low RI in NF; generally speaking, the soil physicochemical properties improved, with the exceptions of the available phosphorus (AP) and calcium (Ca) levels; the soil enzymes generally exhibited the highest activities in R25, while the activity of catalase showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease over time; both the HM concentrations and physicochemical properties showed significant correlations with soil enzyme activities; redundancy analysis showed that soil pH and HM species should be given more attention in R5 for vegetation recovery; and the HM concentrations, soil moisture content, and ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium levels might be the limiting factors for plant colonization in early restoration periods, while the AP, total phosphorus, and Ca levels might be the limiting factors in later restoration periods. The obtained results will provide guidance for the restoration of abandoned Mn‐polluted areas.

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Biogeochemical dynamics of nutrients and rare earth elements (REEs) during natural succession from biocrusts to pioneer plants in REE mine tailings in southern China

Cited by 30 publications

References 58 publications

Insights into the Selective Transformation of Ceria Sulfation and Iron/Manganese Mineralization for Enhancing the Selective Recovery of Rare Earth Elements

Insights into the Selective Transformation of Ceria Sulfation and Iron/Manganese Mineralization for Enhancing the Selective Recovery of Rare Earth Elements

Abiotic legacies mediate plant–soil feedback during early vegetation succession on rare earth element mine tailings

Heavy metal pollution assessment and soil property evolution under a natural ecological restoration process in a manganese wasteland in China

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