NEW APPROACHES TO THE REVEGETATION AND RECLAMATION OF OLD TAILING MANAGEMENT FACILITIES: THE EXAMPLE OF THE CASSANDRA MINES

 Στην εργασία αυτή ερευνήθηκε η δυνατότητα φυτοαποκατάστασης των δύο χώρων απόθεσης μεταλλευτικών αποβλήτων στα μεταλλεία Κασσάνδρας Χαλκιδικής (Στρατώνι και Ολυμπιάδα). Η έρευνα διεξήχθη σε τρία στάδια. Στο πρώτο στάδιο μελετήθηκαν τα φυσικοχημικά χαρακτηριστικά των μεταλλευτικών αποβλήτων και διερευνήθηκαν οι τρόποι μείωσης της βιοδιαθεσιμότητας των βαρέων μετάλλων και μεταλλοειδών με τη χρησιμοποίηση διαφόρων πρόσθετων υλικών. Μεταξύ αυτών των υλικών ήταν οξείδια του Fe και Mn, υλικά πλούσια σε οξείδια των Fe και Mn (παραπροϊόντα του εργοστασίου της ηλεκτρολυτικής επεξεργασίας του πυρολουσίτη), ζεόλιθος, φωσφορικά άλατα, ρινίσματα του Fe, Fe0 κ.ά. Στο δεύτερο στάδιο μελετήθηκε η αντοχή διαφόρων φυτικών ειδών σε συνθήκες θερμοκηπίου. Η επιλογή των ειδών βασίσθηκε στη δυνατότητα χρησιμοποίηση των ειδών αυτών σε προγράμματα φυτοαποκατάστασης μεταλλευτικών αποβλήτων. Τα αποτελέσματα του πειράματος του θερμοκηπίου έδειξαν ότι το φυτικό είδος Nerium oleander μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί επιτυχώς. Από το πείραμα του θερμοκηπίου επιλέχτηκαν οι έξη καλύτερες μεταχειρίσεις. Οι μεταχειρίσεις αυτές αποτέλεσαν τη βάση του πιλοτικού σταδίου (τρίτο στάδιο). Για την αξιολόγηση των μεταχειρίσεων στην πιλοτική εφαρμογή χρησιμοποιήθηκαν διάφορα βιομετρικά χαρακτηριστικά των φυτών. Παράλληλα στο τέλος του πειράματος καταγράφηκαν τα φυτικά είδη που εγκαταστάθηκαν με φυσικό τρόπο . Τα είδη αυτά συλλέχθηκαν και αναλύθηκαν χημικά. Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας έδειξαν ότι το είδος Nerium oleander μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί επιτυχώς. Παράλληλα τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι το είδος της μεταχείρισης επηρεάζει τον αριθμό των ειδών που εγκαθίστανται με φυσικές διεργασίες. Μερικά από τα είδη που εγκαταστάθηκαν με φυσικό τρόπο υπερβιοσυσσωρεύουν μέταλλα, ενώ ορισμένα ανήκουν στην κατηγορία των μεταλλοφύτων. Vegetation cover is a cost effective method for reclaiming old mine wastes and tailings disposal sites. Physicochemical characteristics of wastes and tailings are often inimical to successful vegetation establishment. In this research revegetation and reclamation of old tailings management facilities at Cassandra Mines was investigated. The research was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, the physicochemical characteristics of the mining wastes were studied and methods for reduction of the bioavailability of heavy metals by adding various amendments such as material rich in Mn and Fe oxides (by-products of pyrolusite industry, zeolite, phosphates, Fe oxides, Feo etc.) were investigated. In the second stage, the suitability of different plant species for revegetation of the mine wastes in greenhouse conditions was investigated. The results of this stage showed that the species Nerium oleander can be used successfully to stabilize the surface of the old mining wastes followed by a reduction of heavy metals bioavailability. In the third stage (pilot experiment), the six best treatments of greenhouse experiment were used in two sites (Olympias, Karakoli) with three repetitions per treatment. The plants were fertilized and irrigated for two growth periods. Biometrical characteristics of Nerium oleander (leaf area, height of plants, weight of leaves and number of branches) and concentrations of the elements in the leaves of the plants were determined. One year after, a number of other plant species colonized the area with natural processes. These plants were recorded, collected and identified and the chemical compositions and bioaccumulation factors were determined. The growth of Nerium oleander was successful for almost all treatments. The revegetation and stabilization of the experimental plots resulted to a quick colonization by various plant species. Thirty five (35) different plant species were recorded in “old Olympias tailings pond” and forty (40) species in “old Karakoli tailings dam”. Treatments affect the number of plant species colonized the experimental plots. The best treatments contained material rich in oxides of Fe and Mn

Psycho-social factors associated with mental resilience in the Corona lockdown

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is not only a threat to physical health but is also having severe impacts on mental health. Although increases in stress-related symptomatology and other adverse psycho-social outcomes, as well as their most important risk factors have been described, hardly anything is known about potential protective factors. Resilience refers to the maintenance of mental health despite adversity. To gain mechanistic insights about the relationship between described psycho-social resilience factors and resilience specifically in the current crisis, we assessed resilience factors, exposure to Corona crisis-specific and general stressors, as well as internalizing symptoms in a cross-sectional online survey conducted in 24 languages during the most intense phase of the lockdown in Europe (22 March to 19 April) in a convenience sample of N = 15,970 adults. Resilience, as an outcome, was conceptualized as good mental health despite stressor exposure and measured as the inverse residual between actual and predicted symptom total score. Preregistered hypotheses (osf.io/r6btn) were tested with multiple regression models and mediation analyses. Results confirmed our primary hypothesis that positive appraisal style (PAS) is positively associated with resilience (p < 0.0001). The resilience factor PAS also partly mediated the positive association between perceived social support and resilience, and its association with resilience was in turn partly mediated by the ability to easily recover from stress (both p < 0.0001). In comparison with other resilience factors, good stress response recovery and positive appraisal specifically of the consequences of the Corona crisis were the strongest factors. Preregistered exploratory subgroup analyses (osf.io/thka9) showed that all tested resilience factors generalize across major socio-demographic categories. This research identifies modifiable protective factors that can be targeted by public mental health efforts in this and in future pandemics

Psycho-social factors associated with mental resilience in the Corona lockdown.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is not only a threat to physical health but is also having severe impacts on mental health. Although increases in stress-related symptomatology and other adverse psycho-social outcomes, as well as their most important risk factors have been described, hardly anything is known about potential protective factors. Resilience refers to the maintenance of mental health despite adversity. To gain mechanistic insights about the relationship between described psycho-social resilience factors and resilience specifically in the current crisis, we assessed resilience factors, exposure to Corona crisis-specific and general stressors, as well as internalizing symptoms in a cross-sectional online survey conducted in 24 languages during the most intense phase of the lockdown in Europe (22 March to 19 April) in a convenience sample of N = 15,970 adults. Resilience, as an outcome, was conceptualized as good mental health despite stressor exposure and measured as the inverse residual between actual and predicted symptom total score. Preregistered hypotheses (osf.io/r6btn) were tested with multiple regression models and mediation analyses. Results confirmed our primary hypothesis that positive appraisal style (PAS) is positively associated with resilience (p < 0.0001). The resilience factor PAS also partly mediated the positive association between perceived social support and resilience, and its association with resilience was in turn partly mediated by the ability to easily recover from stress (both p < 0.0001). In comparison with other resilience factors, good stress response recovery and positive appraisal specifically of the consequences of the Corona crisis were the strongest factors. Preregistered exploratory subgroup analyses (osf.io/thka9) showed that all tested resilience factors generalize across major socio-demographic categories. This research identifies modifiable protective factors that can be targeted by public mental health efforts in this and in future pandemics