Vegetation as an ecological indicator in assessing environmental restoration in mining areas.

As global demand for natural resources escalates, the environmental impact stemming from resource extraction has risen to the forefront of contemporary discussions. This paper probed the potential of using vegetation cover as an ecological barometer to gauge the level of environmental damage and restoration in mining areas: a decline in vegetation cover may signify detrimental impacts from intense mining activities, while an increase may indicate effective local environmental stewardship. Therefore, this paper undertook an assessment and discussion of mining damage and environmental management at China's Ta'ershan Mining Area since 2007, calculating and visualizing FVC (Fractional Vegetation Cover) of the Ta'ershan Mining Area to track changes in vegetation cover between 2007 and 2021.

Reclaiming abandoned mine tailings ponds for agricultural use: Opportunities and challenges.

Tailings ponds, large man-made structures conceived during the mining process for waste storage, often become deserted post-mining, leaving behind a stark, contaminated landscape. This paper posits that these forsaken tailings ponds can be rejuvenated into fertile agricultural land through adept reclamation efforts. Serving as a discussion paper, it engages in a stimulating exploration of the environmental and health risks linked to tailings ponds.

Spatiotemporal variation of vegetation cover in mining areas of Dexing City, China.

Dexing City is an important mining city in China, abounding in copper ore, lead ore, zinc ore, and other metal resources, and there are two large open-pit mines in its territory, Dexing Copper Mine and Yinshan Mine. The two open-pit mines have been expanding their mining production scale since 2005, with frequent mining activities; and the expansion of the pits and the discharge of solid waste will undoubtedly increase the land use and cause the destruction of vegetation. Therefore, we plan to visualize the change in vegetation cover in Dexing City from 2005 to 2020 and the expansion of the two open-pit mines by calculating changes of the Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) in the mining area using remote sensing technology.

Mine land reclamation, mine land reuse, and vegetation cover change: An intriguing case study in Dartford, the United Kingdom.

Dartford, a town in England, heavily relied on industrial production, particularly mining, which caused significant environmental pollution and geological damage. However, in recent years, several companies have collaborated under the guidance of the local authorities to reclaim the abandoned mine land in Dartford and develop it into homes, known as the Ebbsfleet Garden City project. This project is highly innovative as it not only focuses on environmental management but also provides potential economic benefits, employment opportunities, builds a sustainable and interconnected community, fosters urban development and brings people closer together.

Environmental hazards posed by mine dust, and monitoring method of mine dust pollution using remote sensing technologies: An overview.

The over-exploitation of mineral resources has led to increasingly serious dust pollution in mines, resulting in a series of negative impacts on the environment, mine workers (occupational health) and nearby residents (public health). For the environment, mine dust pollution is considered a major threat on surface vegetation, landscapes, weather conditions and air quality, leading to serious environmental damage such as vegetation reduction and air pollution; for occupational health, mine dust from the mining process is also regarded as a major threat to mine workers' health, leading to occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis and silicosis; for public health, the pollutants contained in mine dust may pollute surrounding rivers, farmlands and crops, which poses a serious risk to the domestic water and food security of nearby residents who are also susceptible to respiratory diseases from exposure to mine dust. Therefore, the second section of this paper combines literature research, statistical studies, and meta analysis to introduce the public mainly to the severity of mine dust pollution and its hazards to the environment, mine workers (occupational health), and residents (public health), as well as to present an outlook on the management of mine dust pollution.

Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Concrete Incorporating Silica Fume and Waste Rubber Powder.

Using waste rubber tires for concrete production will reduce the demand for natural aggregate and help to reduce environmental pollution. The main challenge of using waste rubber tires in concrete is the deterioration of mechanical properties, due to poor bonding between rubber and cement matrix. This research aims to evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of rubberised concrete produced by using different proportions of rubber powder and silica fume.

Spatial and temporal variation of vegetation cover in the main mining area of Qibaoshan Town, China: Potential impacts from mining damage, solid waste discharge and land reclamation.

The increasing frequency of mining activities in the world has led to many environmental pollution problems, such as mine wastewater discharge, mine solid waste dumps, and mine dust dispersion. These problems have negative implications for the environment and the public health of people living nearby the mining areas. Despite this, there are few methods to determine the state of mine pollution on a regional scale.

Water Quality Modelling for River Activities Management: Example from a Low- and Middle-Income Country.

Background: Rivers are susceptible to pollution and water pollution is a growing problem in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) with rapid development and minimal environmental protections. There are universal pollutant threshold values, but they are not directly linked to river activities such as sand mining and aquaculture. Water quality modelling can support assessments of river pollution and provide information on this important environmental issue.