Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları
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- Derleme MakaleYalnız künye2026Sustainable Mining: Environmental Challenges, Mine Tailings Management and Technological Innovations
Orak, Mürsel
Mining provides essential raw materials for global economic development; however, it is also associated with significant environmental impacts including land degradation, water contamination, and the generation of large volumes of mine tailings. Sustainable mining has emerged as a strategic framework aimed at balancing economic benefits with environmental protection and social responsibility. This study presents a comprehensive review of sustainable mining practices with particular emphasis on environmental impacts, mine tailings management strategies, acid mine drainage mitigation, and innovative technologies such as cemented paste backfill (CPB). In addition, the role of circular economy approaches, digital mining technologies, and mine closure strategies in improving sustainability performance is discussed. The findings indicate that integrating advanced tailings management strategies and technological innovations can significantly reduce environmental risks and enhance the long-term sustainability of mining operations.
- BildiriYalnız künye2023IMPORTANCE OF STATIC TESTS FOR THE PREDICTION OF AMD POTENTIAL OF CEMENTED PASTE BACKFILL
Cihangir, Ferdi; Koc, Ercument; Orak, Mursel; Deveci, Taha Yavuz; Ercikdi, Bayram; Trofymchuk, O.; Rivza, B.
Cemented paste backfill (CPB) is an engineering mixture of mine tailings, cement and water. Tailings can commonly contain sulphidic minerals. In this case, acid mine drainage (AMD) may occur due to the oxidation of sulphidic minerals present in the body of the CPB. In general, AMD lowers the pH of the medium and water environment and may cause heavy metal release. Therefore, AMD potential is an important parameter to be considered with regard to environmental aspect. Static tests are widely used to determine the AMD potential of sulphidic materials. When neutralization capacity is higher than the acid generation potential, tailings can be safely stored from an environmental point of view. In this study, AMD potential of CPB material produced from sulfur-containing fine tailings is investigated. In this scope, a static modified ABA test was performed on fine sulphidic tailings (TA) and CPB produced from the same sulphidic tailings+7%wt. SR5 cement+water for the first time. Findings suggests that the CPB material had a lower AMD potential (~10%) compared to the tailings. Acid generation capacity of both tailings and the CPB was found to be dominant due to the high sulphide content (~30%wt. and ~28%wt.), respectively. However, CPB was observed to maintain its structural integrity and did not release acidic water for at least 40 weeks. This study showed that a well-designed CPB can be effectively used as an environmentally friendly mine tailings management method.
- MakaleAçık Erişim2020Assessment of acid mine drainage formation using geochemical and static tests in mutki (Bitlis, se Turkey) mineralization area
Gücer, Mehmet Ali; Alemdağ, Selçuk; Akaryali, Enver
In this study, geochemical analyses, as well as short-term contact leaching and acid-base accounting tests, were carried out to determine the occurrence of acid mine drainage (AMD) by static tests in the ore stockpile areas at the Mutki Cu-Fe-Cr deposit (Bitlis, SE Turkey). According to the short-term contact leaching tests, the high enrichment in trace element concentrations in ore-bearing samples, especially in potentially toxic metals such as Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn, were directly related to sulphide and oxide mineralizations. The pH (3.27–4.05) values of water samples, together with the classification of the intracontinental water resources, indicated that the water quality is the fourth class. Leaching tests, paste pH (3.42–4.46) and sulphide-sulphur (3.9–13.4 wt%) values also suggested that there was AMD production potential in the mineralization area. The AMD production potential was supported by the high mobility of several elements, such as Fe, Mg, Cr, As, Cu, S, and Zn. In ore samples, net neutralization potential (NNP) and net potential ratio (NPR) values were less than –20 kg CaCO3 /t and 1, respectively. The basalts forming the basement rock of the stockpile area were characterized by permeable to slightly permeable properties that potentially increase the contamination risk of the groundwater due to seepage in the stockpile area. In order to prevent seepage in the stock area, geomembrane (synthetic waterproofing covers) should be laid at the base to ensure impermeability. The improvements planned in the stock area were modeled by the finite element method and seepage discharges at a depth of 5 m were determined as 1.34 × 10–17m3/s. Thanks to these planned applications, surface and groundwater pollution can be efficiently prevented.