Environmental challenges and identification of the knowledge gaps associated with REE mine wastes management

Edahbi, Mohamed; Plante, Benoît; Benzaazoua, Mostafa

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.228

Cited by 60 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…The REE contents in the plant tissues as well as both BAF and TF1 factors indicated that REEs were not efficiently accumulated in the terrestrial plants sampled in our study area. There were no data showing that plants were dependent on REEs to grow [29]. The total REE contents of the wild plants reported by Reference [27] ranged from 1.03 to 48.25 mg kg −1 , which was similar to the results obtained in the present study (0.16-10.41 mg kg −1 ) ( Table 1).…”

Section: Unitssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…In addition, elements can display different biogeochemical behaviors in natural weathering environments, and therefore differences in individual REE distributions are common [28]. Cerium was the most concentrated REE in the investigated soils, which is consistent with its natural predominance in the environment [27,29]. Even though the REE contents of the plant tissues presented in this study exceeded the limit of detection (Table S1), they were rather low and should therefore be interpreted carefully.…”

Section: Unitssupporting

confidence: 75%

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Biogeochemical Cycle of Lanthanides in a Light Rare Earth Element-Enriched Geological Area (Quebec, Canada)

et al. 2019

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This work investigated a rare earth element (REE) natural biogeochemical cycle in an area with a light rare earth element (LREE)-rich ferrocarbonatite intrusion. An REE determination in this geological environment allowed us to trace REE natural transfers in order to better manage future REE mining exploitations. Our findings suggest that although REE concentrations in abiotic compartments (soil and freshwater systems) and biotic samples (terrestrial and aquatic plants) were low, the LREE fractionation observed in the parent material was maintained along compartments. Additionally, Nd anomalies observed in the sediment pore water suggest a potential different biogeochemical cycle of this element in aquatic systems. According to the potential bioaccumulation of REEs in the organisms of two studied plants belonging to terrestrial and aquatic compartments, Equisetum arvense L. and Typha latifolia L. (respectively), we observed that REEs were not accumulated and that they showed limited REE transfer inside plants, but with an increased uptake of Eu relative to the other REEs. Our results indicated a low mobility and transfer of REEs from REE-rich bedrocks in a natural area toward terrestrial and freshwater systems, but also pointed to a dilution of the REE content in the different compartments, maintaining the LREE fractionation. Our findings provide new knowledge about the REE biochemical cycle in a natural area (from rocks to plants) and represent a starting point for an environmentally friendly exploitation of future REE mining areas.

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Section: Unitssupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Unitssupporting

confidence: 75%

Biogeochemical Cycle of Lanthanides in a Light Rare Earth Element-Enriched Geological Area (Quebec, Canada)

et al. 2019

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“…This is a very difficult task, given the variety of Ln industrial applications and lack of the experimental data on Ln behaviour in aquatic ecosystems [2,41]. Notably, there are knowledge gaps, even on Ln release from the mine wastes [108] -the oldest Ln pollution source. Therefore, only the direct measurement of Ln in different environmental compartments allows for evaluating the contamination trends due to the lack of a working life-cycle material flow and environmental fate models for Ln.…”

Section: Environmental Exposure Levels Of Lnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Hazard of Lanthanides and Lanthanide-Based Nanoparticles to Aquatic Ecosystems: Data Gaps, Challenges and Future Research Needs Derived from Bibliometric Analysis

et al. 2020

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Lanthanides (Ln), applied mostly in the form of nanoparticles (NPs), are critical to emerging high-tech and green energy industries due to their distinct physicochemical properties. The resulting anthropogenic input of Ln and Ln-based NPs into aquatic environment might create a problem of emerging contaminants. Thus, information on the biological effects of Ln and Ln-based NPs is urgently needed for relevant environmental risk assessment. In this mini-review, we made a bibliometric survey on existing scientific literature with the main aim of identifying the most important data gaps on Ln and Ln-based nanoparticles’ toxicity to aquatic biota. We report that the most studied Ln for ecotoxicity are Ce and Ln, whereas practically no information was found for Nd, Tb, Tm, and Yb. We also discuss the challenges of the research on Ln ecotoxicity, such as relevance of nominal versus bioavailable concentrations of Ln, and point out future research needs (long-term toxicity to aquatic biota and toxic effects of Ln to bottom-dwelling species).

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“…In order to put forward waste management solutions, it is appropriate to carry out a detailed analysis similar to the one presented here. Such an analysis may include alternative situations, but only within the context of the need to separate the recommended logistics tools for the individual alternatives [2][3][4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The waste management issue is addressed in a number of publications [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Some publications [1][2][3][4][5] focus on the impact of waste management on the environment, whilst others [6,8] focus on waste management in certain industrial sectors. For example, a previous study [5] focuses on eco-waste management through the possible use of cellulose waste combined with municipal waste to produce new materials, another study [6] focuses on waste management in hotel operations, another [8] focuses on the decision-making behaviour of contractors and government ministries in the field of construction, and yet another study [19] on innovative solutions for municipal waste management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of the Operational Research Method to Determine the Optimum Transport Collection Cycle of Municipal Waste in a Predesignated Urban Area

2019

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This paper deals with waste management. The aim is to find out whether the number of municipal mixed waste bins can be reduced due to the impact of waste separation and to determine the optimum municipal waste collection cycle within a predesignated area with an existing urban road network. The number of mixed waste bins depends on two factors—household waste volume and household waste composition. Both of these factors have a significant impact on the number of mixed waste bins required, with household waste composition being of particular importance when it comes to calculating the potential reduction in the number of mixed waste bins required due to waste separation. The calculations for the weight and volume of mixed household waste per person and the composition (types) thereof are presented accordingly. The results reveal which types of waste are the most useful in minimising the number of mixed waste bins by up to 30–50%. To determine the optimum waste collection cycle within the predesignated area with a real urban road network, the Nearest Neighbour Search method was applied. In the discussion, the focus is on whether other methods, including the Two-Phase Heuristic approach and the Bellman-Ford Algorithm, could be applied to solve the problem, whereby parameters such as application time and the capacity of the waste collection vehicle are compared.

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Environmental challenges and identification of the knowledge gaps associated with REE mine wastes management

Cited by 60 publications

References 97 publications

Biogeochemical Cycle of Lanthanides in a Light Rare Earth Element-Enriched Geological Area (Quebec, Canada)

Biogeochemical Cycle of Lanthanides in a Light Rare Earth Element-Enriched Geological Area (Quebec, Canada)

Potential Hazard of Lanthanides and Lanthanide-Based Nanoparticles to Aquatic Ecosystems: Data Gaps, Challenges and Future Research Needs Derived from Bibliometric Analysis

Application of the Operational Research Method to Determine the Optimum Transport Collection Cycle of Municipal Waste in a Predesignated Urban Area

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