Addition of recyclable biochar, compost and fibre clay to the growth medium layer for the cover system of mine tailings : a bioassay in a greenhouse

Mine closures require landscape reclamation to reduce the environmental risks of tailings fields. However, information about the feasibility of recyclable waste materials as a growth medium layer for the cover systems of mine tailings and their effects on vegetation restoration and reforestation success is scant especially in the boreal climate. This study examines the use of various recyclable by-products in improving vegetation success on reclaimed mine tailings. The physical and chemical properties of two wood biochar types, fibre clay, compost, tailings soil and forest till soil as well as their effects as growth media on the growth of several plant species during one growing period in a greenhouse were examined. Marked differences in the properties (e.g. pH, element concentrations, water retention) as well as in plant growth among the growth media were found. Fresh non-oxidized tailings soil showed high salt contents and electrical conductivity which together with fine soil texture provided the poorest or nonexistent plant growth. Fibre clay was the coarsest and driest material and also showed poor plant growth. Root and shoot growth was greatest in pure compost. All media without compost additive showed relatively poor growth which indicates the lack of nitrogen. The results suggest that forest till soil and biochar are the most suitable growth media for the cover systems of mine tailings when added with compost or another nitrogen source. Scots pine container seedlings, willow cuttings and sown red clover showed to be the most feasible plant species to be grown on boreal tailings covers.Peer reviewe

The role of economics in ecosystem based management:The case of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive; first lessons learnt and way forward

The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) sets out a plan of action relating to marine environmental policy and in particular to achieving ‘good environmental status’ (GES) in European marine waters by 2020. Article 8.1 (c) of the Directive calls for ‘an economic and social analysis of the use of those waters and of the cost of degradation of the marine environment’. The MSFD is ‘informed’ by the Ecosystem Approach to management, with GES interpreted in terms of ecosystem functioning and services provision. Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach is expected to be by adaptive management policy and practice. The initial socio-economic assessment was made by maritime EU Member States between 2011 and 2012, with future updates to be made on a regular basis. For the majority of Member States, this assessment has led to an exercise combining an analysis of maritime activities both at national and coastal zone scales, and an analysis of the non-market value of marine waters. In this paper we examine the approaches taken in more detail, outline the main challenges facing the Member States in assessing the economic value of achieving GES as outlined in the Directive and make recommendations for the theoretically sound and practically useful completion of the required follow-up economic assessments specified in the MSFD

Analysis of indoor air emissions : From building materials to biogenic and anthropogenic activities

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The AuthorsThere is a clear relationship between indoor air quality, gaseous compounds (volatile and semi-volatile) and particles emitted by building materials, biogenic and anthropogenic activities, and human health. An increased interest in indoor air quality and emissions has raised during recent years. Nowadays, it is possible to find several analytical approaches based on a wide variety of sampling and analytical techniques. The main objective of this review is to clarify the different options available for the analyst by a critical evaluation of the different steps involved in these methods. In this way, a clear description and evaluation of the potential advantages and shortcomings for the different devices required in materials emission studies, the collection of total air samples using air canisters and particles by vacuum surface have been included in this review. In addition, the potential use of active and passive sampling techniques, for the efficient collection of different compounds from the air samples is described. Then, the selection of the most adequate analytical approach for the analysis of different compounds as a function of their physicochemical properties is evaluated. The latter will include not only traditional approaches such as gas or liquid chromatography but also more sophisticated ones such as proton transfer reaction or chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Finally, the application of these different analytical approaches to the evaluation of indoor air emissions, mainly from biogenic and anthropogenic activities but also from different building materials, are introduced.Peer reviewe

Aerial drone furnished with miniaturized versatile air sampling systems for selective collection of nitrogen containing compounds in boreal forest

A wide variety of nitrogen-containing compounds are present in the environment, which contributes to air pollution and new particle formation, for example. These eventually affect human health and the climate. With all this consideration, there is a growing interest in the development of efficient and reliable methods to determine these compounds in the atmosphere. In this study, titanium hydrogen phosphate-modified Mobil Composition of Matter No. 41 was used as sorbent material for in-tube extraction (ITEX) sampling system, to selectively collect nitrogen-containing compounds from natural air samples. The effect of sampling accessories, based on adsorbent coatings (with Tenax-GR as an adsorbent material) and polytetrafluoroethylene filters, was studied to improve the selectivity of the sampling system and to remove particles. Aerial drone with miniaturized air sampling system was employed for the reliable collection of nitrogen-containing compounds in both gas phase and aerosol particles. A total of 170 air samples were collected in July 2020 at the SMEAR II station, Finland to evaluate nitrogen-containing compounds diurnal patterns and vertical profiles (0.25, 5, 50, and 150 m). More than twenty nitrogen-containing compounds, such as aliphatic amines, imines, imidazoles, and pyridines, were identified, quantified or semi-quantified. The average concentrations of detected aliphatic amines at the altitude of 50 m were up to 40.4 ng m−3 (dimethylamine) in gas phase and 128 ng m−3 (ethylamine) in aerosol particles. Among nitrogen-containing compounds detected, pyridine gave the highest average concentration of 746 ng m−3 in gas phase and 644 ng m−3 in particle phase.Peer reviewe

Flow-Mediated Vasodilation Is Not Attenuated in Hypertensive Pregnancies Despite Biochemical Signs of Inflammation

Background. Our objective was to evaluate endothelial function and markers of inflammation during and after pregnancy in normal pregnancies compared to pregnancies complicated with hypertension or preeclampsia (PE). Methods and Results. We measured endothelium-dependent brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in 32 women with normal pregnancy and in 28 women whose pregnancy was complicated with hypertensive disorder in the second half of pregnancy and minimum 3-month postpartum. Enhancement of endothelial function was greater in hypertensive than normal pregnancies, the mean FMD% being 11.0% versus 8.8% during pregnancy (P = 0.194) and 8.0% versus 7.9% postpartum (P = 0.978). Concentrations of markers of inflammation were markedly increased in pregnant hypertensive group compared to those after delivery (hsCRP 4.5 versus 0.80 mg/L, P = 0.023, IL-6 2.1 versus 1.2 pg/mL, P = 0.006; TNF-α 1.9 versus 1.5 pg/mL, P = 0.030). There were no statistically significant associations between the markers of inflammation and FMD. Conclusions. Brachial artery FMD was not attenuated in the third trimester hypertensive pregnancies compared to normal pregnancies, whereas circulating concentrations of hsCRP and IL-6 and TNF-α reacted to hypertensive complications

Geopolymers from mining tailings for more sustainable raw material supply

For ecologic and economic reasons tailings, waste rock and water management become progressively important factors in the mining industry. The European Union funded project ‘Integrated mineral technologies for more sustainable raw material supply’ (ITERAMS) aims to (1) close the water cycle of the mineral processing plant (i.e. minimizing the release of wastewater to the adjacent environment), and (2) to use tailings (and waste rock) as raw materials for geopolymers. This will (1) enable significantly more efficient water recycling at the mining sites, (2) deliver cost savings and added income due to the valorisation of solid waste residues, and (3) minimize the overall environmental footprint of the mining industry and will therefore help improving its performance and as a consequence its social position. The developed solutions influence the total lifecycle of the mining operation, as they provide input to project planning and operational phases as well as to the closure and recultivation. In this paper, the valorisation of the tailings and the waste rock is discussed. The main applications of the geopolymer products are (1) backfill material to fill open cavities from the mining operation and (2) a cover for surface deposits of tailings to store them environmentally safe – i.e. seal them off from surface water streams and oxidising conditions

Biohiilen hyödyntäminen kaivannaisjätteiden peittomateriaaleissa ja viherrakentamisessa - Biopeitto

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