A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using tree seedlings for the phytoremediation of lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) mine tailings. Seedlings of three Quercus spp. (Q. shumardii, Q. phellos, and Q. virginiana) and rooted cuttings of two Salix spp. (S. matsudana and S. integra) were transplanted into pots containing 50 and 100 % Pb/Zn mine tailings to evaluate their tolerance of heavy metals. The five species showed different tolerance levels to the Pb/Zn tailings treatments. Q. virginiana was highly tolerant to heavy metals and grew normally in the Pb/Zn tailings. The root systems showed marked differences between the Quercus spp. and Salix spp., indicating that different mechanisms operated to confer tolerance of heavy metals. The maximum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry value of the five species showed no differences among the treatments, except for Q. shumardii. All species showed low metal translocation factors (TFs). However, S. integra had significantly higher TF values for Zn (1.42-2.18) and cadmium (1.03-1.45) than did the other species. In this respect, Q. virginiana showed the highest tolerance and a low TF, implying that it is a candidate for phytostabilization of mine tailings in southern China. S. integra may be useful for phytoextraction of tailings in temperate regions.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7979-0 | DOI Listing |
Environ Pollut
January 2025
Applied Geochemistry, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resource Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden.
Research regarding the geochemistry of beryllium (Be) in terrestrial environments is hindered by its high toxicity to humans and the low concentrations normally occurring in the environment. Although Be is considered an immobile element, extremely high dissolved concentrations have been detected in groundwater in the legacy Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) of Smaltjärnen, Sweden. Therefore, a detailed study was conducted to determine physiochemical parameters affecting the speciation of Be in the groundwater.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
January 2025
Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A4, Canada. Electronic address:
Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) play a vital role in the occurrence of sulfur oxidation intermediate (SOI) compounds often recalcitrant to currently available, abiotic treatment within metal mine tailings impoundments (TI). As inadvertent SOI discharge post-treatment can lead to the uncontrolled acidification of receiving environments, it becomes increasingly important to elucidate the environmental controls on SOB identities and sulfur cycling within these relatively unstudied systems. Here, results identified controlling factors on SOB community differentiation and associated metabolic pathway occurrence through integrated physicochemical, geochemical, and microbial field and experimental investigation across three summers (2016, 2017, 2021) in a stratified Northern Ontario base metal TI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
December 2024
Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad No. 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico.
The waste generated during metal mining activities contains mixtures of heavy metals (HM) that are not biodegradable and can accumulate in the surrounding biota, increasing risk to human and environmental health. Plant species with the capacity to grow and develop on mine tailings can be used as a model system in phytoremediation studies. (L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
December 2024
Department of Environment and Sustainable Development, Singidunum University, Danijelova 32, 11010 Belgrade, Serbia.
The growing demand for metal production promotes the search for alternative sources and novel modalities in metallurgy. Flotation tailings are an important secondary mineral resource; however, they might pose a potential environmental threat due to containing toxic metals. Therefore, proper leaching reagent selection is required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (CSIC), Ríos Rosas 23, ES-28003 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address:
Mountain lakes are particularly fragile ecosystems undergoing important ecological and depositional transformations associated with ongoing global change. However, the history of anthropogenic impacts on mountain lakes and their catchments is much longer, in many cases featuring millennia of summer pastoral farming. More recently, the growing demand for raw materials and energy linked to industrialization, particularly accelerated since the 19th century CE, meant a further increase in human impact on mountain areas.
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