Technosols for Mine Restoration: Overcoming Challenges and Maximising Benefit
Source abstract
Abstract
The escalating demand for non-renewable resources is anticipated to intensify extractive activities, which are invariably associated with significant environmental externalities. The rehabilitation of mined landscapes, undertaken to mitigate ecological degradation and reinstate ecosystem functions and biodiversity, is frequently constrained by substantial financial requirements as well as intricate technical, logistical, and environmental challenges. As a consequence, a considerable proportion of extractive sites worldwide remain unreclaimed. There is a critical need for sustainable, cost-effective, and versatile restoration practices. This article presents a bibliographic review focusing on problems encountered in mine remediation and the role of technosols in addressing these issues. Mine restoration initiatives are confronted with a suite of interrelated challenges, including suboptimal soil physicochemical characteristics, hydrological instability, geomorphological hazards, and the exacerbating effects of extreme climatic events. Technosols, formulated from various waste materials, prove to be a versatile and cost-effective biotechnology that can significantly improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, enhance water retention, and restore biological activity. Their application, which can include mining waste and organic residues, substantially lowers costs estimated globally at EUR 829.711 billion for soil formation and contributes to a circular economy. Technosols represent a promising and efficient biotechnology for mine restoration. Their use facilitates the creation of stable, functional, and self-sustaining landscapes, enabling not only environmental recovery but also social and economic benefits through post-restoration land uses. Further research and knowledge transfer are vital for their broader and optimised implementation.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Mine drainage and remediation techniques · Mining and Resource Management · Heavy metals in environment
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Agrochemistry and Environment, University Miguel Hernández of Elche, Av. de la Univer-sidad s/n, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
Department of Agronomical Engineering, Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT), Paseo de Alfonso XIII, 48, 30203 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Funding
State Research Agency (AEI) of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
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