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PHYTOSTABLIZATION OF SULPHIDE MINE TAILINGS
Abstract
Orphaned or abandoned sulphide tailing disposal sites pose significant environmental hazards, including eolian dispersion, water erosion, acid mine drainage, and heavy metal mobility. Phytostabilization, an eco-friendly strategy, entails the use of alkaline amendments alongside non-native plant species capable of thriving in environments with high concentrations of heavy metals. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the effect of a commercial cement which contained 46.3% sand, applied alone or combined with three magnesium (Mg) reagents on the shoot dry yield (DMY) of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) grown on sulphide mine tailings (SMT) (pH 3.0). The 29 treatments evaluated were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. All pots received N-P-K fertilizer. Treatments combining cement and Mg reagents significantly increased the pH of the cultivated tailings. Magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)?), when mixed with the cement, were more effective than magnesium carbonate (MgCO?) in maintaining alkaline conditions in the cultivated tailings. The pH increase was notably higher in cultivated tailing samples treated with cement+MgO, reaching pH levels ranging from 4.93 to 7.58. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a highly significant effect of the cement+Mg reagents on the DMY of ryegrass. There was a strong correlation between substrate pH and DMY (r = 0.853, p less than 0.001), with a quadratic regression equation providing the best fit to the data (R? = 0.894, p less than 0.001). In conclusion, the study highlights the potential of an 8% cement combined with 2% MgO for tailing revegetation or cultivation purposes.
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