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- Title
Development of sustainable hydromorphic Technosols within artificial wetlands in mining landscapes: the effects of wastewater and hydrothermal geological materials.
- Authors
Díaz-Ortega, J.; Rivera-Uria, Y.; López-Mendoza, E.; Sedov, S.; Romero, F.; Solleiro-Rebolledo, E.; Martínez-Jardines, L. G.
- Abstract
Purpose: The Buenavista del Cobre mine is in a semiarid environment in NW Mexico. A part of the mine tailings dam has been flooded with wastewater from Cananea, generating an artificial wetland. The main objectives of this work were to evaluate the effect of wastewater on the pedogenesis of wetland Technosols developed on mine tailings and to compare them with the soil of non-irrigated tailings and with a natural soil profile. Materials and methods: Three profiles were studied inside the dam as follows: a profile under waterlogging conditions, a profile under conditions of periodic sewage saturation, and a profile with no waterlogging conditions. Laboratory methods included the micromorphological analysis of the soil structure and pedo-features, fertility properties, identification of clay minerals, and analysis of bulk chemical composition. Results and discussion: It was found that the biogenic structure and voids associated with organic materials were the main micromorphological features of the studied wetland Technosols. Primary sulfides remained unaltered in the Technosols irrigated with wastewater, whereas incipient sulfide oxidation was observed in the non-irrigated tailings. Chlorite and smectite were detected in the Technosols. Such mineral assemblage was found to be mostly generated by hydrothermal processes. Conclusion: Irrigation of tailings with wastewater supported the biological aggregation and porosity formation within the soil matrix, supplied plant nutrients, and enhanced the ecological soil quality of the studied hydromorphic Technosols. Saturation with wastewater hampered the oxidation of primary sulfides in the hydromorphic Technosols, preventing soil acidification and the mobilization of heavy metal contaminants.
- Subjects
CONSTRUCTED wetlands; SOIL micromorphology; SOIL acidification; CLAY minerals; TAILINGS dams
- Publication
Journal of Soils & Sediments: Protection, Risk Assessment, & Remediation, 2024, Vol 24, Issue 8, p2948
- ISSN
1439-0108
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11368-024-03763-4