Bioleaching of Heavy Metals from Mine Tailings by Aspergillus fumigatus

The bioleaching experiment was conducted for the removal of heavy metals from mine tailings. A fungal strain was isolated from the gold mine tailings and it has been identified as Aspergillus fumigatus based on its 18S rDNA analysis. Bioleaching using A. fumigatus was carried out in bioleaching step processes (one-step and two-step) at various tailings concentrations (1%, 2%, 4%, and 8% [w/v]). In the one-step bioleaching process where fungi were cultivated in the presence of the tailings, concentration of oxalic acid was the highest among the organic acids produced. On the other hand, in the two-step bioleaching process where the metabolic products of fungal growth, which have been separated from its biomass, were used, citric acid was dominant. In the one-step process, the highest As (62%), Fe (58%), Mn (100%), and Zn (54%) removals were observed at the lowest tailings concentration (1%). The removal of Pb at 1% tailings concentration in the one-step process was 56%, whereas 88% removal was achieved in the two-step process where citric acid was dominant. In general, heavy metals removal efficiency decreased with increased tailings of the concentration in both bioleaching processes. This study shows the possibility of using A. fumigatus to bioleach hazardous heavy meals from gold mine tailings.     

Extraction of Arsenic and Heavy Metals from Contaminated Mine Tailings by Soil Washing

In this study, the soil washing technique has been used to treat mine tailings contaminated heavily with arsenic and heavy metals at Jingok mine, which is one of the abandoned mines in Korea. The results showed that phosphoric acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, and sodium metabisulfite were highly effective in extracting arsenic and heavy metals. Among them, oxalic acid was the most effective (especially for Pb, Cu, and Zn), as even a residual fraction of arsenic was partly extracted. The optimum concentration of washing reagent and the ratio between the mine tailings and washing reagent were found to be 0.5 M and 1:20, respectively. In addition, the extraction kinetics of arsenic and heavy metals was fast, in which the reaction time of 30 minutes was deemed to be a sufficient contact time. From the results, it may be concluded that the low pH of washing solution and the amount of dissolved Fe may be considered as the most important factors in the extraction of arsenic and heavy metals.     

Heavy metal localisation in mycorrhizas ofEpipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Besser (Orchidaceae) from zinc mine tailings

Summary The metal distribution within mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal roots ofEpipactis atrorubens collected from zinc mine tailings and an area rich in heavy metal ores (both located in southern Poland) was investigated. The tailings, consisting of postflotation material, were characterised by high levels of toxic elements such as Zn, Pb, and Cd, while soil outside the tailings was also strongly enriched in heavy metals. Atomic absorption spectrometry and proton-induced X-ray emission analysis revealed that heavy metals were mostly accumulated within orchid roots. Elemental maps from proton-induced X-ray emission showed that plant root epidermis and fungal coils which had developed within cortical cells of roots collected from the zinc mine tailings were the main places of Zn and Pb accumulation, associated with increased concentrations of Fe, Cd, Ti, Mn, Si, Ca, and S. The mean content of Pb and Zn in the coils was 4 to 5 times higher than in the root epidermis. In mycorrhizal roots from the tailings a statistically significant decrease in Pb and Zn content towards the inside of the root was observed. The mean content of Pb in coils from roots of plants growing outside the tailings was about 1% of the concentration in root coils from the tailings. Coils selected from orchid roots originating from a site outside the tailings contained comparatively high concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Cu, which was probably due to the high content of these elements in the soil. The results presented suggest a biofiltering effect against heavy metals by orchid mycorrhizal fungi.     

Mobility and Translocation of Heavy Metals from Mine Tailings in Three Plant Species after Amendment with Compost and Biosurfactant

An experiment was performed to determine the effects of mine tailings alone mixed with compost or with compost plus crude biosurfactant on the accumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Ni) in Acacia retinodes, Nicotiana glauca, and Echinochloa polystachya. The plants were grown in soil, mine tailings, and mine tailings containing compost over a period of seven and five months for shrubs or grass, respectively. The plants Acacia retinodes and Nicotiana glauca grown in mine tailings containing compost showed increases in dry biomass (from 62 to 79%) compared with plants in only tailings. Heavy metals accumulated in the roots and leaves showed high translocation rates of Cr in N. glauca, Cd in A. retinodes, and Ni in E. polystachya. Concentrations of heavy metals in the three plants irrigated with crude biosurfactant were not significantly different from those irrigated with water. Zn and Cd fractions within mine tailings containing compost were bound to carbonate, Pb was bound to residues, and Cu was bound to Fe-oxides. Cd had the highest mobility factor followed in order by Zn, Pb, and Cu. The elevated concentrations of Pb in roots and the low translocation rate for N. glauca and A. retinodes indicate that they are suitable for phytostabilizing Pb and Zn.     

Phytostabilization of polymetallic contaminated soil using Medicago sativa L. in combination with powdered marble: Sustainable rehabilitation

This study uses an ecotoxicology approach to evaluate the effectiveness of combining powdered marble as an amendment, with phytostabilization by Medicago sativa L. on the neutralization of acidic mine tailings, and the stabilization of heavy metals. The mine tailings were collected from an abandoned polymetallic mine in Southern Morocco, and mixed with powdered marble as the following proportions, 25%, 50%, and 75%. Laboratory immobilization/stabilization tests showed that the application of powdered marble in the treatments led to a significant increase in pH, and significant reductions of Cu, Zn (99%), Pb (98%), and Fe (45%). Greenhouse experiments showed that plant growth in all treatments was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) less than growth in agricultural soil. Plant growth significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased as the proportion of powdered marble increased. The concentration of metals in plant roots were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than those of shoots. Combining immobilization by powdered marble with phytostabilization by M. sativa L. could represent a viable method of rehabilitating acidic polymetallic mine tailings.     

Rhamnolipid biosurfactant-enhanced soil flushing for the removal of arsenic and heavy metals from mine tailings

Mine tailings containing high contents of arsenic and heavy metals are potential environmental contamination sources. Column experiments were conducted in this study to evaluate the feasibility of using a rhamnolipid biosurfactant (JBR425) to enhance the removal of arsenic and heavy metals from an oxidized mine tailings sample collected from Bathurst, Canada. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) analyses indicated that arsenate [As(V)] was the only extractable arsenic species in the mine tailings. The addition of rhamnolipids did not change the oxidation state of arsenic. It was found that a 0.1% rhamnolipid solution (initial pH adjusted to 11) could significantly enhance the removal of arsenic and heavy metals (i.e., Cu, Pb and Zn) simultaneously. The accumulative removal of arsenic, Cu, Pb and Zn reached 148, 74, 2379, and 259 mg/kg after a 70-pore-volume flushing, respectively. Moreover, the mobilization of arsenic and heavy metals by rhamnolipids was found to be positively correlated with that of Fe, and the mobilization of arsenic was also positively correlated to that of the heavy metals. The mobilization of co-existing metals, to some extent, might enhance arsenic mobilization in the presence of rhamnolipids by helping incorporate it into aqueous organic complexes or micelles through metal-bridging mechanisms.     

Sewage sludge bioleaching by indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria: effects of ratio of substrate dosage to solid content

The aim of this work was to study the effect of ratio of substrate dosage to solid content (Sd/SC) on sewage sludge bioleaching. The inocula--indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were enriched and cultured from the fresh activated sludge to a wastewater treatment plant. The results showed that Sd/SC significantly influenced the sludge bioleaching process. With increase in Sd/SC the sludge bioleaching was enhanced, which was represented by the acceleration of sludge acidification, oxidizing environment formation, and substrate (sulfur) utilization. Higher Sd/SC was more efficient to solubilize the heavy metals and total phosphorus (TP) than lower Sd/SC, while total nitrogen (TN) release was not influenced by Sd/SC. Zinc and copper were efficiently bioleached because of sludge acidification and sludge oxidation, but lead was bioleached with a low efficiency because of the formation of low soluble PbSO(4) precipitates. After bioleaching the biotoxicity of sewage sludge greatly reduced.     

Vegetation pattern and heavy metal accumulation at a mine tailing at Gyöngyösoroszi, hungary

Vegetation at an abandoned heavy metal bearing mine tailing may have multifunctional roles such as modification of water balance, erosion control and landscape rehabilitation. Research on the vegetation of mine tailings can provide useful information on tolerance, accumulation and translocation properties of species potentially applicable at moderately contaminated sites. Analyses of the relationship between heavy metal content (Pb, Zn and Cu) and vegetation in a mine tailing were carried out. These analyses included: (1) spatial analysis of relationship among heavy metal distribution, pH and vegetation patterns, and (2) analysis of heavy metal accumulation and translocation in some plant species. Presence of vegetation was found to be significantly dependent on pH value, which confirms that phytotoxicity is a function of element concentration in solution, which is primarily controlled by pH value in mine tailings. Among the most abundant plant species, dewberry (Rubus caesius), vipersbugloss (Echium vulgare), scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) and narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata) accumulate significant amounts of Pb, Cu and Zn, while in the case of annual bluegrass (Poa annua) only Pb can be measured in elevated contents. Considering the translocation features, scarlet pimpernel, narrowleaf plantain, and dewberry accumulate heavy metals primarily in their roots, while heavy metal concentration in vipersbugloss and annual bluegrass is higher in the shoots.     

Bioleaching of Heavy Metals from Textile Sludge by Indigenous Sulfur-and-Iron-Oxidizing Microorganisms Using Elemental Sulfur and Ferrous Sulfate as Energy Sources: A Comparative Study

The present study was undertaken to investigate the potential of enriched indigenous sulfur-and-iron-oxidizing microorganisms in the bioleaching of Cu, Ni, Zn and Fe from textile sludges by using elemental sulfur and ferrous sulfate (FS), respectively, as an energy source under batch conditions. The experiments were performed with three different textile sludges (S1, S2 and S3) at initial neutral pH of the sludges procured from different parts of the country i.e., UP, Haryana and Punjab. The three sludges used were not only procured from different parts of the country but also differ in physiochemical characteristics. The extent of heavy metals solubilization in each sludge was found to be different using sulfur- and iron-oxidizing microorganisms. The results of the study indicate that sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms were found more efficient in the bioleaching process, irrespective of any sludge. The use of sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms led to higher solubilization of heavy metals and after 7 days of bioleaching about 84–96% Cu, 64–78% Ni, 81–92% Zn and 74–88% Fe were removed compared to 62–73% Cu, 62–66% Ni, 74–78% Zn and 70–78% Fe using iron-oxidizing microorganisms. This study had shown the feasibility of applying the bioleaching process to textile sludge contaminated with heavy metals. The results of the present study indicate that the bioleached sludge would be safer for land application.     

Role of Iron-Oxidizing Microorganism in Bioleaching of Heavy Metals From Sewage Sludge Contaminated with Textile Dyes

This article reports the role of indigenous iron-oxidizing microorganisms in bioleaching of heavy metals from anaerobically digested sewage sludge in presence of toxic dyes namely, methylene blue (MB), Remazol black B (RBB) and mixture of both the dyes (DM). To achieve this goal, different concentrations of dyes (0, 500, 10,000, 15,000 and 25,000 mg/L) were added to the sewage sludge (initial pH ～ 7) and subsequently, the solubilization of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn and Cr) was measured at time intervals of 48 h for 16 days. The results showed that an increase in dye concentration adversely affected the population of indigenous iron-oxidizing microorganisms, thereby decreased the bioleaching of metals. The metal solubilization from sludge is more adversely affected in presence of RBB and DM than MB. In majority of cases, the maximum metal solubilization was recorded at dye concentration of 5,000 mg/L. Two factor analyses (ANOVA) suggests the impact of both factors: dye concentration and dye type on metal leaching rate in sludge system.     

生物沥滤污泥土地利用适用性分析

研究了污泥生物沥滤对重金属(Cu、Pb和Zn)形态、营养物质和SO42-存在形式的影响,分析生物沥滤污泥土地利用的适用性。结果表明:生物沥滤后,污泥上清液中重金属通过固液分离而去除,污泥中Cu、Pb和Zn的去除率分别为84.1%、34.8%和80.0%,残存于污泥中的重金属含量大幅降低,且生物有效性低,提高了污泥土地利用的安全性。污泥经生物沥滤后氮、磷和钾的流失分别为38.2%、52.1%和42.8%,但仍能保持较好的肥效。采用X-射线衍射光谱分析发现,残留于污泥中的SO24-主要与Ca2 相结合,较为稳定,生物沥滤后的污泥施用于土地后对环境影响较小。     

Adaptation and detoxification mechanisms of Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) growing on gold mine tailings

Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) was investigated for its potential use in the rehabilitation of gold mine tailings, its ability to extract and accumulate toxic metals from the tailings and its metal tolerant strategies. Vetiver grass was grown on gold mine tailings soil, in a hothouse, and monitored for sixteen weeks. The mine tailings were highly acidic and had high electrical conductivity. Vetiver grass was able to grow and adapt well on gold mine tailings. The results showed that Vetiver grass accumulated large amounts of metals in the roots and restricted their translocation to the shoots. This was confirmed by the bioconcentration factor of Zn, Cu, and Ni of >1 and the translocation factor of <1 for all the metals. This study revealed the defense mechanisms employed by Vetiver grass against metal stress that include: chelation of toxic metals by phenolics, glutathione S-tranferase, and low molecular weight thiols; sequestration and accumulation of metals within the cell wall that was revealed by the scanning electron microscopy that showed closure of stomata and thickened cell wall and was confirmed by high content of cell wall bound phenolics. Metal induced reactive oxygen species are reduced or eliminated by catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase dismutase.     

Natural Colonization of Plants on Five Lead/Zinc Mine Tailings in Southern China

Mine tailings can have a specific assemblage of plant species due to their unique physicochemical properties, and this process can be important in developing ecological theory and restoration practice. Physicochemical properties and natural colonization of plants on five lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) mine tailings in southern China were investigated. The tailings studied included Fankou and Lechang in Guangdong Province, and Huangshaping, Shuikoushan, and Taolin in Hunan Province. Physicochemical properties of the tailings varied greatly both among and within tailings ponds, but in general, all contained high concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd) and low concentrations of N, P, and organic matter. Toxic levels of heavy metals and deficiency of major nutrients appeared to be the major constraints for colonization of plants on these Pb/Zn tailings and were reflected in the metal concentration of the plant tissues. The natural colonization of plants on these tailings was limited, with only some small patches distributed mainly on the edge of tailing ponds and even fewer patches on the center of the ponds. In total 54 plant species belonging to 51 genera and 24 families were recorded on the five tailings ponds, of which the 13 species belonging to Gramineae were major components of the tailings’ flora. Species establishing on the tailings at the initial colonization phase greatly depended on their seed‐dispersal capacity. Further establishment and growth were then dependent on at least one of the three ecological strategies: (1) microsite (avoidance) strategy: plant establishment on tailings depended on dispersing onto microsites of relatively favorable edaphic conditions; (2) tolerance strategy: plant establishment was a result of evolving metal‐tolerant ecotypes or constitutional metal tolerance; and (3) rhizome strategy: plant establishment on tailings depended on clonal growth by rhizomatous extension.     

5种栎树幼苗对铅锌尾矿砂的耐性与植被恢复前景

通过盆栽试验,评价栎属植物在铅锌尾矿中的生长响应及植被恢复前景.分析比较了覆瓦栎、猩红栎、樱皮栎、舒玛栎和白栎5种栎树幼苗在铅锌矿砂中生长30个月后的生物量、根系形态及其对营养元素和重金属的吸收及转移特征.结果表明: 5种栎树在矿砂中均能生长,其中,猩红栎和白栎的生物量较对照有下降趋势,其他3种栎树的生长与对照相比无显著差异;栎树根系生物量均较对照有不同程度增加(猩红栎除外),且仅猩红栎侧根形态学参数较对照有所减少.重金属胁迫下,栎树根系和茎中营养元素浓度较对照无显著变化.5种栎树体内重金属浓度均较低,且其生物富集系数和转移系数均小于1.但樱皮栎叶片和茎中Cd浓度分别为22.4和15.1 mg·kg^-1,转移系数为2.3,显著高于其他4种栎树.除猩红栎以外,其他参试栎树均可作为有潜力的污染土壤修复树种.其中舒玛栎的耐性较高、生物富集系数和转移系数较低,是适合在尾矿区造林和生态修复的优选树种.     

Mineralogy and geochemistry of tailings from a gold mine in northeastern Thailand

Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of tailings from a gold mine in northeastern Thailand were investigated in relation to acid mine drainage (AMD) and the release potentials of toxic elements. The tailings can be divided into upper tailings and lower tailings. The upper tailings usually contain pyrrhotite, pyrite ± chalcopyrite, calcite, quartz, andradite and diopside. The lower tailings mainly contain goethite, quartz, chlorite, muscovite, calcite and hematite ± pyrrhotite. These assemblages clearly relate to the original types of gold deposit prior to mining and mineral processing. The upper tailings are defined as potential acid forming (PAF), whereas the lower tailings are classified as non-acid forming (NAF). Regarding heavy metals, apart from high Mn level, the other heavy metals appear to have low concentrations in the upper tailings. On the other hand, the lower tailings contain high contents of As, Cu and Pb, which appear to be higher than the National Total Threshold Limit Concentrations. Goethite, the main mineral assemblage in the lower tailings, reveals characteristic of arsenic adsorbent. As a result, the tailing pond is recommended to be covered to prevent the oxidizing processes of the upper tailings; otherwise, AMD generation may take place soon after the mine closure. Land reclamation and monitoring plans must be planned very well and carried out with great care since arsenic contamination has been reported in steam water close to the tailing dam.     

添加污泥对尾矿砂理化性质及香樟生理特性的影响

以香樟作为指示植物,选取黄岩、临海和路桥地区污水处理厂污泥,将污泥与尾矿砂按(污泥质量比例为0%对照、25%、50%和75%)配比进行栽培试验。测定添加污泥对尾矿砂理化性质以及香樟生理特性的影响。结果表明:随着污泥比例的增加,混合基质中的有机质、全氮、全磷明显增加,pH值明显降低,离子交换量明显减少,Cu和Cd总量明显增加,而Pb总量明显减少,Zn总量没有明显变化,Cu、Cd和Zn的DTPA提取量明显增加,而Pb的DTPA提取量明显减少。黄岩和临海污泥在25%和50%比例时,香樟叶和茎的生物量和叶绿素含量明显增加,而根的生物量没有明显变化,在75%比例时,生物量和叶绿素含量均明显减少;而添加路桥污泥使香樟叶、茎和根的生物量和叶绿素含量明显减少。丙二醛含量则与生物量和叶绿素含量呈现相反的变化特征。黄岩和临海污泥在25%和50%比例时,根和叶的Cu、Cd、Pb和Zn含量明显减少,在75%比例时,Cu、Cd和Zn含量则明显增加;而添加路桥污泥使叶和根的Cu、Cd和Zn含量明显增加,Pb含量明显减少。研究表明添加污泥提高了尾矿砂的养分含量,同时改变了其重金属组成,对污泥重金属含量和有机质组成的监控可以准确地预测污泥改良后尾矿砂对植物毒性的变化。     

Phytoremediation of mine tailings in temperate and arid environments

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for the remediation of mine tailings, a global problem for which conventional remediation technologies are costly. There are two approaches to phytoremediation of mine tailings, phytoextraction and phytostabilization. Phytoextraction involves translocation of heavy metals from mine tailings to the plant shoot biomass followed by plant harvest, while phytostabilization focuses on establishing a vegetative cap that does not shoot accumulate metals but rather immobilizes metals within the tailings. Phytoextraction is currently limited by low rates of metal removal which is a combination of low biomass production and insufficiently high metal uptake into plant tissue. Phytostabilization is currently limited by a lack of knowledge of the minimum amendments required (e.g., compost, irrigation) to support long-term plant establishment. This review addresses both strategies within the context of two specific climate types: temperate and arid. In temperate environments, mine tailings are a source of metal leachates and acid mine drainage that contaminate nearby waterways. Mine tailings in arid regions are subject to eolian dispersion and water erosion. Examples of phytoremediation within each of these environments are discussed. Current research suggests that phytoextraction, due to high implementation costs and long time frames, will be limited to sites that have high land values and for which metal removal is required. Phytostabilization, due to lower costs and easier implementation, will be a more commonly used approach. Complete restoration of mining sites is an unlikely outcome for either approach.     

Effects of sewage sludge application on heavy metal leaching from mine tailings impoundments

Column experiments were conducted to investigate the removal of heavy metals from two mine tailings (El Arteal and Jaravías) using sewage sludge as a reactive material. When sewage sludge is used as a reactive material on the El Arteal tailings (sample SA), Fe, Mn, Zn and Pb are removed and Cu and Ni are mobilized. The experiments carried out on the Jaravías tailings give similar results, showing the retention of Cu, Pb, Fe and Mn and the mobilization of Ni and Zn. An analysis performed using the PHREEQC numerical code suggests that the retention of Fe in the sewage sludge may be caused by the precipitation of Fe(OH)2.7Cl0.3 and possibly pyrite, and that the retention of Pb at high pH may be caused by the formation of stable phase minerals such as Pb(OH)2 and PbS in these conditions. Ni mobilization in the column experiments with the two tailings samples may be caused by the presence of significant amounts of leachable Ni in the sewage sludge. The complexation of metals with dissolved organic matter, calculated with the Minteq model, may be moderate.     

3种木本植物在铅锌和铜矿砂中的生长及对重金属的吸收

通过盆栽试验评价3种木本植物紫穗槐、桤木和黄连木修复铅锌矿和铜矿尾矿的潜力。结果表明,150d后3种植物在矿砂中都能生长,其中黄连木在铅锌矿砂中生长受到明显抑制,桤木的叶绿素含量显著降低。3种植物的根系发育在2种矿砂中没有受到显著抑制。重金属在3种植物组织中的含量为17.66 -55.36 mg/kg (铜)、2.67-196.00 mg/kg(铅)、58.93-333.67 (锌,铅锌矿砂)和49.20-199.33(锌,铜矿砂)。3种植物的生物富集系数(BCF)和转移系数(TF)值都小于1。60d后,桤木和黄连木叶片的叶绿素荧光参数与对照相比没有显著变化,PSⅡ的最大量子产量有下降的趋势。重金属胁迫后显著增加Mg、Fe、Cu在功能叶的含量,显著地降低Mn的含量。因此可利用固氮植物紫穗槐在尾矿区造林和修复。     

Artificial inoculation-perspectives in tailings phytostabilization

Intensive mining and processing activities worldwide resulted in the generation of huge amounts of waste (tailings), generally characterized as toxic, radioactive, and/or hazardous. The exposure potential and, hence, the risk posed by such wastes is enhanced by a general lack of vegetation. Phytostabilization has proven to be efficient in reducing this risk. However, establishing vegetation on tailing dumps may be expensive due to the intensive use of amendments and chemical fertilizers. In this article, investigations on artificial inoculation of mine tailings with bacterial strains as a means to improve the development of vegetative covers and reduce application cost by eliminating chemical fertilization are presented and discussed. The development of plants and microbial communities from tailings, as well as the impact of inoculation on metal uptake in plants, were studied. Experiments were carried out in greenhouse using two types of mine tailings (phosphogypsum and sulphidic tailings) from the Romanian Black Sea coast. Indigenous herbaceous plants were cultivated on tailings with the addition of chemical fertilizers versus bacterial inoculation. After a 6-month experimental period, excellent plant growth, which is associated with a rich microbial community, was observed in all inoculated treatments, in contrast with poor plant growth and microbiota from the chemical fertilization treatments alone. Additionally, artificial inoculation improved plant resistance to heavy metals by reducing the uptake of some toxic metals. Once a rich microbial community is established, inoculation may be discontinued. Based on these results, efficient and cost-effective phytostabilization schemes can be proposed.