Growth Response of Abaca (Musa textilis Nee) in Abandoned Mine Soil Amended with Oil Palm Residues

The mining industry is one of the leading sectors providing economic benefit to the community. However, mining minerals inevitably affect the ecosystem function of the land, thereby reducing ecological services provided to mankind. Soil remediation is done to restore ecological integrity while mitigating degradation processes. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the chemical properties of abandoned mine soil and to determine the effects of oil palm residues on the growth performance of abaca (Hybrid 7) grown in mined soil under nursery conditions. This study was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments and four replications, namely, T1 - Mined Soil Alone, T2 - Garden Soil Alone, T3 - Mined soil + Oil Palm Sludge, T4 - Mined Soil + Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Biochar, T5 – Mined Soil + Oil Palm Vermicast. Chemical analysis of mined soil revealed extreme acidic soil condition, low organic matter, CEC, N, K, and high P content relative to soil nutrient sufficiency criteria. Mined soil contained 0.347 mg/kg Cd and 0.230 mg/kg Pb which are within the tolerable limit of 2.00 mg/ kg for Cd and 300 mg/kg (Pb), respectively. Application of oil palm residues in mined soil can significantly improve the morphology and dry matter yield performance of hybrid 7 abaca seedlings. Plants grown in mined soil amended with oil palm residues were taller, larger pseudostem girth with more and bigger functional leaves, and had a higher survival rate compared to those grown in soil derived from the abandoned mining area. Abaca plants grown with amendments had accumulated higher dry matter. Oil palm residues particularly vermicast has greater potential as soil amendment under degraded mined in Mawab, Davao de Oro.

Atmospheric emissions of volatile organic compounds from a mine soil treated with sewage sludge and tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum L.)

A laboratory study was carried out to investigate the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a mining soil amended with sewage sludge and irrigated with wastewater in comparison to the non-amended soil, with or without tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum L.). The study detected a total of nine VOCs emitted from the polluted soil: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, m-xylene, o-xylene, styrene, benzene-1,2,4-trimethyl and tetrachloroethylene, among which the most abundant were toluene, m-xylene and styrene (82.2, 4.1 and 3% respectively). The results showed that soil amended with sewage sludge reduced the emission of VOCs (styrene in pots without plants and benzene and xylenes in pots with plants). On the other hand, tomato plants contributed to increase significantly the emissions of all VOCs except styrene in both amended and non-amended soils.

Reclamation of Abandoned Mine Soil Using Biosurfactant

Mining results in enormous land damage, varying the ecosystem of microbial culture and disturbing plant life leading to annihilation of the land. Due to this researcher’s has shifted their focus to alternative methods for the sustainable development. The present study aims at environmental friendly and cost effective technique for the reclamation of abandoned mine soil using bio-surfactant. In the current investigation bio-surfactant was produced using Bacillus Subtilis MTCC no. 1427 on 20% spent wash collected from distillery unit. The mined soil with bio-surfactant was able to minimize heavy metal concentration and the plants grown on this soil were healthy similar to the results of the agricultural soil. Keywords: Mining, Abandoned, Reclamation, Heavy Metals, Re-vegetation, Bioremediation.

Reclamation of Abandoned Mine Soil: A Review on Properties and Remediation Techniques

The environment which is a part of ecosystem is being polluted due to urbanization, rapid industrialization increased demands for resources in our day to day lives have left no resources untouched. Various anthropogenic activities such as mining and milling operations, which include grinding, screening, concentrating ores and removal of tailings, disposal of mine and mill waste water release toxic metals into the natural environment affecting the lithosphere. Reclamation is the process of restoring the environmental soundness of these distressed mine lands. It consists of governing all kinds of physical, chemical and biological inconvenience of land area or soil such as fertility, pH, microbial activities and different soil nutrient cycles that make the destructed land soil fertile. The main aim of the reclamation is to bring back the fertility of soil by increasing its N, P, K values and Carbon contents. There are various remediation technologies available for removal of heavy metal from contaminated mine soil, in this paper we have discussed in-situ remediation, physical remediation, chemical remediation and biological remediation technologies which are implemented across the globe.

Utilization of Abandoned Mine Soil in Making Bricks to Be Used for Construction Activity

Mining is a process of extraction of valuable minerals or geological substances from the earth; however, mining degrades the ecosystem. Earlier studies have discovered that about 10-15% of the ore mined is not utilized and discarded due to lack of cost-effective extraction technology for low graded ore in India. These soils cause environmental degradation as they do not support the growth of vegetation. Thus, the land becomes abandoned and fits for nothing. These soils have created an unsolved problem in mining industries. Bringing a solution to this issue is a challenging task. And it is necessary due to the presence of heavy metals in them. Concomitantly, there is a substantial demand for the construction materials. Due to increase in the population the need for shelter is increasing day by day. So, it is imperious to use these mining soils in building materials such as bricks, concrete blocks and other products which are of high value in day-to-day life. In the present study we attempt to prepare non modular bricks by using iron tailings or soils and clay soil. Here in this study we prepared different bricks varying their composition with respect to percentage of mine waste viz... 0,20,40,60,80, 100.The bricks made up 20%, 40%, 60% of mine soil replaced with the regular clay soil, attained compressive strength of 10.07MPa, 7.11MPa, 3.95MPa respectively with a water absorption of 14.57%, 15.61%, 18.44% respectively. So, mined soil which is unfertile and useless otherwise can answer sustainability by going for Brick making. Keywords: Mine soil, Bricks, compressive strength, water absorption