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PREVENTIG DISIPATIVE LOSS OF CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS CONTAINED IN EXTRACTIVE WASTE DUMPS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE SURVEYING BEFORE CONVENTIONAL WASTE RECYCLING
Abstract
The recycling of old extractive dumps as filler and aggregate in civil and road construction is considered a conventional recycling method. In contrast, the use of extractive waste as an admixture in cement or as a precursor additive in clinker manufacturing represents an upcycling approach. Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 has shifted the paradigm of waste upcycling by highlighting the dissipative loss of critical raw materials contained not only in extractive waste but also in other waste types when recycled without awareness of their critical element content. Consequently, mandatory screening for critical raw materials is required before applying any conventional waste recycling method. Furthermore, the Regulation stipulates: By 24 November 2027, Member States shall adopt and implement measures to promote the recovery of critical raw materials from extractive waste, particularly from closed extractive waste facilities. This paper presents a novel approach for comprehensive screening of critical raw materials in a Romanian iron ore tailings dump. Incremental sampling was employed to collect a set of 40 samples. XRF, XRD, SEM-EDS, and LOI measurements were conducted to characterize the sub-sampled aliquots. A balanced, replicated sampling design, combined with three-level split ANOVA data processing, was used to ensure thorough data analysis. The results indicate that the iron ore tailings pond investigated poses no risk of dissipative loss of critical raw materials.
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