Ecological engineering of iron ore tailings into useable soils for sustainable rehabilitation

Ecological engineering of soil formation in tailings is an emerging technology toward sustainable rehabilitation of iron (Fe) ore tailings landscapes worldwide, which requires the formation of well-organized and stable soil aggregates in finely textured tailings. Here, we demonstrate an approach usi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:iScience 2023-07, Vol.26 (7), p.107102-107102, Article 107102
Main Authors: Wu, Songlin, Liu, Yunjia, Southam, Gordon, Nguyen, Tuan A.H., Konhauser, Kurt O., You, Fang, Bougoure, Jeremy J., Paterson, David, Chan, Ting-Shan, Lu, Ying-Rui, Haw, Shu-Chih, Yi, Qing, Li, Zhen, Robertson, Lachlan M., Hall, Merinda, Saha, Narottam, Ok, Yong Sik, Huang, Longbin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Environmental geochemistry
Environmental management
Soil
Soil chemistry
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Summary:Ecological engineering of soil formation in tailings is an emerging technology toward sustainable rehabilitation of iron (Fe) ore tailings landscapes worldwide, which requires the formation of well-organized and stable soil aggregates in finely textured tailings. Here, we demonstrate an approach using microbial and rhizosphere processes to progressively drive aggregate formation and development in Fe ore tailings. The aggregates were initially formed through the agglomeration of mineral particles by organic cements derived from microbial decomposition of exogenous organic matter. The aggregate stability was consolidated by colloidal nanosized Fe(III)-Si minerals formed during Fe-bearing primary mineral weathering driven by rhizosphere biogeochemical processes of pioneer plants. From these findings, we proposed a conceptual model for progressive aggregate structure development in the tailings with Fe(III)-Si rich cements as core nuclei. This renewable resource dependent eco-engineering approach opens a sustainable pathway to achieve resilient tailings rehabilitation without resorting to excavating natural soil resources. [Display omitted] •Soil aggregate formation through eco-engineering of inhospitable Fe ore tailings•Microbial and rhizosphere activities drove soil aggregate formation in tailings•Mineral weathering was enhanced and colloidal Fe(III)-Si mineral gel was generated•Conceptual model was proposed for aggregate development with mineral gel as backbone Environmental geochemistry; Environmental management; Soil; Soil chemistry
ISSN:2589-0042
2589-0042
DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107102