Phytoremediation of Mine Waste Disposal Sites: Current State of Knowledge and Examples of Good Practice

Abstract

Mining activities are considered to be one of the main sources of environmental pollution, and lead to the production of vast amounts of waste materials. Mining leads to soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and pollution of soil, water, and air. The disposal of mine waste is a global problem, and its composition depends on ore characteristics. In addition to high concentrations of metal/metalloids, mine tailings and spoils of abandoned mines are characterized by unfavorable physicochemical characteristics, such as extremely low or high pH, low nutrient status, and water retention capacity. Various remediation technologies could be applied to improve the environmental characteristics of mine waste disposal sites, reduce the amount of pollutants, and prevent their mobilization to the surrounding soil and waterbodies. One of the most cost-effective, and environmentally friendly technologies is phytoremediation, with phytostabilization, phytovolatization, phytofiltration, and phytoextraction as main techniques. An overview of the past experiences is discussed together with future trends in phytoremediation.