Phytoremediation Reduces Dust Emissions from Metal(loid)-Contaminated Mine Tailings.

ABSTRACT: Environmental 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 fo

SUBMITTER: Gil-Loaiza J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7025808 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature