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The feasibility of using Robinia pseudoacacia in phytoremediation of sterile dumps was determined. The potential of Robinia pseudoacacia seeds to grow in a medium contaminated with high concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Cu was firstly evaluated by applying germination tests on acacia seeds in the presence of various extractants prepared by mixtures of sterile material (SM) collected from the “Radeș” dump (Romania), calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and dehydrated sludge (DS) from Someș Water Treatment Plant (Cluj Napoca, Romania), fertilizer (N.P.K.), and potassium monobasic phosphate (KH2PO4-99.5%). The results indicated that Robinia pseudoacacia seeds grow much better in an acidic than in a neutral medium and in the absence of carbonates. The capacity of metal uptake from SM by Robinia pseudoacacia and the development of the plants were then investigated at the laboratory scale. During the phytoremediation process, 92.31% of Cu was removed from SM, and the development of the Robinia pseudoacacia plants was favorable. However, although the results of the present study indicated that Robinia pseudoacacia can be successfully used in the phytoremediation of sterile dumps, making a sustainable decision for the current situation of sterile dumps located in mining areas may be difficult because an optimal point between people, profit, planet, and diverse ethical views must be found.

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The inhibiting properties of 5-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (PyODT) on the corrosion of carbon steel in 1.0 M HCl solution were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX analysis. An approach based on machine learning algorithms and Raman data was also applied to follow the carbon steel degradation in different experimental conditions. The electrochemical measurements revealed that PyODT behaves as a mixed-type corrosion inhibitor, reaching an efficiency of about 93.1% at a concentration of 5 mM, after 1 h exposure to 1.0 M HCl solution. Due to the molecular adsorption and structural organization of PyODT molecules on the C-steel surface, higher inhibitive effectiveness of about 97% was obtained at 24 h immersion. The surface analysis showed a significantly reduced degradation state of the carbon steel surface in the presence of PyODT due to the inhibitor adsorption revealed by Raman spectroscopy and the presence of N and S atoms in the EDX spectra. The combination of Raman spectroscopy and machine learning algorithms was proved to be a facile and reliable tool for an incipient identification of the corrosion sites on a metallic surface exposed to corrosive environments.

In the present study, the biosorptive potential of Cyprinus carpio scales for the removal of Fe, Mn, and Zn ions from real acidic mine drainage (AMD) generated at the Rosia Montana gold mine (Romania) was explored for the first time. The collected AMD solution is very acidic, and the concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Zn ions exceed more than 34 to 56 times the disposal standards imposed by legislation. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to study the effect of the sorbent dosage, sorbent particle size, pH, and contact time on the adsorption performance of the fish scales. Before and after the adsorption process, the biosorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). In the investigated experimental conditions, about 100%, 87.1%, and 100% of Fe, Mn, and Zn ions were removed from the AMD after 240 min of contact with the finest-grained Cyprinus carpio scale samples using a solid:liquid ratio of 20:1 (g:L). The adsorption data were analyzed using the pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, intraparticle diffusion rate, and Elovich equations. The adsorption process was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacities of the fish scales were about 2.46 mg/g for Mn and 0.85 mg/g for Zn ions, respectively. Aside from their significant efficiency in the removal of metals from AMD, Cyprinus carpio scales also have the potential to neutralize the acidic wastewater. Thus, the removal process of metal ions from AMD is ruled by a complex mechanism, including adsorption and iron precipitation. The recycled scales are still able to remove the metal ions from AMD with a better performance during the first regeneration cycle. Based on the obtained results, it might be assessed that the low-cost biowaste of Cyprinus carpio scales have great potential and could be effectively used for the remediation of real acidic mine drainage from a sustainable perspective.