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Assessment of the Possible Reuse of Extractive Waste Coming from Abandoned Mine Sites: Case Study in Gorno, Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Neha Mehta

    (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, 10125 Torino, Italy
    School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5AH, UK)

  • Giovanna Antonella Dino

    (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, 10125 Torino, Italy)

  • Iride Passarella

    (Horizon s.r.l., 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy)

  • Franco Ajmone-Marsan

    (Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy)

  • Piergiorgio Rossetti

    (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, 10125 Torino, Italy)

  • Domenico Antonio De Luca

    (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, 10125 Torino, Italy)

Abstract

Supply of resources, a growing population, and environmental pollution are some of the main challenges facing the contemporary world. The rapid development of mining activities has produced huge amounts of waste. This waste, found in abandoned mine sites, provides the potential opportunity of extracting raw material. The current study, therefore, focuses on testing the validation of a shared methodology to recover extractive waste from abandoned mines, and applies this methodology to a case study in Gorno, northwest Italy. The methods focused on: (1) analyzing the impact of tailings and fine fraction of waste rock (<2 mm) on plants (Cress - Lepidium Sativum ) to assess usability of both as soil additive, and (2) recovering raw materials from tailings and coarse fraction (>2 mm) of waste rock, by means of dressing methods like wet shaking table and froth flotation. The results indicated that the fine fraction of waste rock and tailings did not have detrimental effects on seed germination; however, there was marked decrease in plant growth. As for the recovery of raw materials, the coarse waste rock samples, crushed to <0.5 mm, produced a recovery of Cd, Ga, and Zn—as much as 66%, 56%, and 64%, respectively—using the wet shaking table. The same samples when crushed to 0.063–0.16 mm and used for froth flotation produced a recovery of Cd, Ga, and Zn of up to 61%, 72%, and 47%, respectively. The flotation experiment on tailings showed a recovery of Cd, Ga and Zn at pH 7 of 33%, 6% and 29% respectively. The present investigation highlights the methodologies used for extracting raw materials from extractive waste.

Suggested Citation

  • Neha Mehta & Giovanna Antonella Dino & Iride Passarella & Franco Ajmone-Marsan & Piergiorgio Rossetti & Domenico Antonio De Luca, 2020. "Assessment of the Possible Reuse of Extractive Waste Coming from Abandoned Mine Sites: Case Study in Gorno, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-22, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:6:p:2471-:d:335255
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Saleem H. Ali & Damien Giurco & Nicholas Arndt & Edmund Nickless & Graham Brown & Alecos Demetriades & Ray Durrheim & Maria Amélia Enriquez & Judith Kinnaird & Anna Littleboy & Lawrence D. Meinert & R, 2017. "Mineral supply for sustainable development requires resource governance," Nature, Nature, vol. 543(7645), pages 367-372, March.
    2. Dino, Giovanna Antonella & Rossetti, Piergiorgio & Perotti, Luigi & Alberto, Walter & Sarkka, Heikki & Coulon, Frédéric & Wagland, Stuart & Griffiths, Zoe & Rodeghiero, Franco, 2018. "Landfill mining from extractive waste facilities: The importance of a correct site characterisation and evaluation of the potentialities. A case study from Italy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 50-61.
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    1. Diana Méndez & Fredy Guzmán-Martínez & Mauricio Acosta & Luis Collahuazo & Danilo Ibarra & Luis Lalangui & Samantha Jiménez-Oyola, 2022. "Use of Tailings as a Substitute for Sand in Concrete Blocks Production: Gravimetric Mining Wastes as a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Wei Lv & Min Gan & Xiaohui Fan & Zengqing Sun & Rongchang Zhang & Zhiyun Ji & Xuling Chen, 2022. "Reaction Behavior and Transformation Path of Zinc in the Heating-Up Zone during Sintering Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Dona Schneider & Michael R. Greenberg, 2023. "Remediating and Reusing Abandoned Mining Sites in U.S. Metropolitan Areas: Raising Visibility and Value," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, April.
    4. Mancini, Susanna & Casale, Marco & Rossi, Piercarlo & Faraudello, Alessandra & Dino, Giovanna Antonella, 2023. "Operative instruments to support public authorities and industries for the supply of raw materials: A decision support tool to evaluate the sustainable exploitation of extractive waste facilities," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

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