Using Risk Assessment and Management Approaches to Develop Cost-Effective and Sustainable Mine Waste Management Strategies

Abstract

Soil contamination by mine wastes is an enormous challenge for both mining companies and competent authorities. Mine wastes are usually considered a major source of impacts on human health and the environment. Thus, the prevailing strategy is to reduce or completely remove the contaminants of concern through appropriate in situ or ex situ remediation techniques. Nonetheless, today's mine waste may become tomorrow's ore. In order to keep this option open, however, several things need to change in the concept and practice of mine waste management. This paper presents a case study from Greece, where mine waste (mainly metallurgical slags) have been disposed of, posing excess risks to human health and the environment. Complete restoration of the site would not only be cost-prohibitive but would also eliminate any possibility of future exploitation of contained resources. Considering both the protection of human health and the environment and the storage of waste for future use, a risk assessment and management approach was adopted that allowed the selection of cost-effective measures in order to: eliminate health hazards, re-use the site for recreational purposes, and secure the opportunity for resource recovery in the future.

Risk Assessment of Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, and Xylene Concentrations from the Combustion of Coal in a Controlled Laboratory Environment

“…In general, we have conducted a risk assessment to estimate the potential exposure to BTEX from domestic coal burning, and similar to other studies, we used the data to assess the risk to human health [48,58,59,60]. Risk assessment is a comprehensive process which includes hazard source identification, evaluation, characterization, and control, aiming at the prevention of possible health outcomes.…”

Risk Assessment of BTEX Concentration from Combustion of Coal in a Controlled Laboratory Environment

“…In general, we have conducted risk assessment to estimate the potential exposure to BTEX from domestic coal burning and similar to other studies, used the data to assess the risk to human health (48,57,58). Risk assessment is a comprehensive process which includes hazard source identification, evaluation, characterisation and control, aiming at prevention of possible health outcomes.…”

Technological and economic analysis of electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soil: A global perspective and its application in Indian scenario

“…The cost involved for different soil remediations techniques such as soil washing (120–600 $ per tonne), landfill disposal (150–200 $ tonne), solidification/stabilization (50–330 $ per m 3 ), bioremediation (30–100 $ per m 3 ), incineration (200–600 $ per tonne), soil flushing (50–80 $ per m 3 ), chemical oxidation (190–660 $ per m 3 ) etc. [ 65 ] Whereas the cost involved for EKR (150–180 $ per m 3 ) which is higher when compared to other technologies such as bioremediation, soil flushing etc. But on the other hand, electrokinetic technology has great potential to compete with other available treatment alternatives [ 66 ].…”

“…1104 kWh/m 3 , which according to the commercial price of electricity in Delhi, India would cost around 110 USD at the current time. This cost can increase by up to 5 to 10 times depending upon the type of enhancers used [ 65 ]. Its treatment time (up to 36 months) lies towards the higher end just under phytoextraction (up to 40 months) as compared to fixation and landfilling, which would take as high as 9 months to decontaminate the sample [ 65 ].…”