Sustainable approach towards extractive waste management: Two case studies from Italy

Abstract

The present paper deals with the different approaches to follow to evaluate the problems (eg. environmental impacts) and potentialities (eg. chance to recover valuable materials from wastelandfill mining approach) connected to mining waste management. Very few research investigated the chance to recover raw materials (RM), critical raw materials (CRM) and secondary raw materials (SRM) from mining waste, on the contraty , several studies investigated the environemtal problems associated to mining waste management (transoport, landfilling, temporary waste facilities, etc.): these two perspectives have been presentend and developed in section 2 (Resource efficiency and environmental protection (REEP) approach). Mining industry represents the most important productive activity (at global level) to exploit RM fundamental for society development. Indeed, resource security is a priority for governments of developed countries. This priority is partly due to considerable concern over the security of the supply of CRM. Their supply is essential to the maintenance and development of the EU economy, as its industries rely on a steady supply of raw materials (RM). Over the centuries, the need for RM continued to expand, as did the number of RM utilised in industry, involving also metals and elements not known or used in the past (Bellenfant et al. 2013). Most of CRM are exploited from countries outside of the EU, causing high economic dependence on non-EU countries (China above all). RM and CRM can be exploited from ore deposits (primary mining), but are also present in landfills and waste streams. The consequence of mining industry is not only the volume of mineral products obtained but also generation of mining waste (also referred to as extractive waste-EW). Extractive wastes (including waste rock-WR, operating residues-OR, and tailings) represent, on the one hand, a problem due to environmental impacts associated to their production and management and, on the other hand, a potential source to recover SRM and CRM. The need of minimizing the negative impacts

Bioaccessibility of metals in soils surrounding two dismissed mining sites in Northern Italy

“…1). This area had been exploited for Ni mining of the Fe-Ni-Cu-Co magmatic sulphide deposits from around 1863 until 1940s, when the mining activity was terminated (Dino et al 2018a). Here, mine tailings deposits are directly above the village and along the road that leads to the village, just above the stream.…”

“…We focused on the fine fractions of the soils in view of their potential threat to living organisms. The sites had been chosen as case studies of the EU Horizon 2020 project SMARTGROUND for the presence, in both cases, of environmental risks related to unmanaged extractive wastes in areas close to villages (Dino et al 2018a).…”

Caracterização tecnológica e reaproveitamento de rejeitos de magnetita em misturas asfálticas e concreto – uma revisão

“…No Brasil, em 2014, estimou-se que 275,5 milhões de toneladas foram destinadas a aterros e barragens de rejeitos (DAUCE et al, 2019). Com a elevada geração desses resíduos e o pouco reaproveitamento, passou-se a ocupar extensas áreas de terra e a acarretar problemas ambientais e sociais, como contaminação do solo e de recursos hídricos, toxicidade nas cadeias alimentares e riscos à saúde humana (BURD, 2002;DINO et al, 2018;HAMMARSTROM et al, 2005;KOSSOFF et al, 2014;MEHTA et al, 2018;MORENO;NERETNIEKS, 2006;WANG et al, 2016c).…”

“…Com a finalidade de garantir o fornecimento de matérias-primas oriundas da extração mineral, recentes avanços econômicos e geopolíticos estão sendo direcionados à reutilização e à reciclagem dos produtos residuais da mineração (DINO et al, 2018). No decorrer dos últimos anos, o uso dos resíduos passou a despertar maior interesse em função dos benefícios econômicos provenientes dos processos de recuperação de ferro e outros metais, entretanto tais atividades ainda enfrentam problemas de descarte de resíduos e poluição secundária.…”

Challenges in the management of data on extractive waste—the Polish case

“…An extensive review of the literature on the circular economy the last 20 years was carried out by Ghisellini et al (2016). The important role of raw materials from extractive waste dumps, including their impact on the local population, was presented by Dino et al (2018) (based on two abandoned mine sites in Italy) and also by Careddu et al (2018). Papers by Pietrzyk-Sokulska et al (2015), Kudełko and Nitek (2011), Korban (2011) and McLellan et al (2009) presented the impact of extractive industries on the environment and activities undertaken in order to minimise the impact, including through the rational use of resources and pro-ecological activities.…”