Hazard Assessment of Soils and Spoils From the Portuguese Iberian Pyrite Belt Mining Areas and Their Potential Reclamation

abstract

Mining activity in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) is ancient and leads to several environmental problems associated with chemical characteristics of the mine wastes and their leachates. In general, mine wastes have limiting conditions for the healthy development of most of the organisms. Soils developed on mine wastes or influenced by mine wastes or acid mine drainage have multielemental contamination and wide heterogeneity in their properties. The quality and hazard risk of soils and mine wastes have been measured by the alteration of several chemical, ecotoxicological and biological indicators. The rehabilitation of these areas is essential in order to decrease environmental risk. This chapter is a review of the environmental problems associated with mine wastes and contaminated soils from the Portuguese sector of the IPB, the methodologies used for their quality evaluation, and advantages and limitations of rehabilitation/reclamation techniques.

authors

E. S. Santos, M. M. Abreu, M. C. F. Magalhães

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