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Phytoremediation Reduces Dust Emissions from Metal(loid)-Contaminated Mine Tailings
journal contribution
posted on 2018-04-27, 18:20 authored by Juliana Gil-Loaiza, Jason P. Field, Scott A. White, Janae Csavina, Omar Felix, Eric A. Betterton, A. Eduardo Sáez, Raina M. MaierEnvironmental and
health risk concerns relating to airborne particles
from mining operations have focused primarily on smelting activities.
However, there are only three active copper smelters and less than
a dozen smelters for other metals compared to an estimated 500000
abandoned and unreclaimed hard rock mine tailings in the US that have
the potential to generate dust. The problem can also extend to modern
tailings impoundments, which may take decades to build and remain
barren for the duration before subsequent reclamation. We examined
the impact of vegetation cover and irrigation on dust emissions and
metal(loid) transport from mine tailings during a phytoremediation
field trial at the Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund (IKMHSS)
site. Measurements of horizontal dust flux following phytoremediation
reveals that vegetated plots with 16% and 32% canopy cover enabled
an average dust deposition of 371.7 and 606.1 g m–2 y–1, respectively, in comparison to the control
treatment which emitted dust at an average rate of 2323 g m–2 y–1. Horizontal dust flux and dust emissions from
the vegetated field plots are comparable to emission rates in undisturbed
grasslands. Further, phytoremediation was effective at reducing the
concentration of fine particulates, including PM1, PM2.5, and PM4, which represent the airborne particulates
with the greatest health risks and the greatest potential for long-distance
transport. This study demonstrates that phytoremediation can substantially
decrease dust emissions as well as the transport of windblown contaminants
from mine tailings.