What are the environmental consequences of mining operations in Arctic regions?

The problems of geoenvironmental consequences of mining operations are especially acute in the arctic and subarctic regions, where the spread of permafrost significantly reduces the buffering capacity of landscapes. The research, the results of which are published in the journal Mining Science and Technology, demonstrates data on the content of heavy metals in the soil cover of the transient zone between the middle taiga and north taiga landscapes of Western Yakutia under the conditions of mining operations. The authors proposed new approaches to evaluation assesses the resistance of different types of soils to heavy metals pollution. The heavy metals content was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Among the studied pollutants the greatest tendency to binding by natural organic ligands was revealed for such elements as lead and copper. Zinc and nickel will actively migrate in the ionic form. Cadmium occupies an intermediate position in terms of the ratio of ionic and organically bound forms. The data presented in the study can be used in monitoring the state of the soil cover in the mining zone.

For more information, see the article:

📌 Titov A.S., Toropov A.S. Geoenvironmetal assessment of different types of cryolithic soils in Western Yakutia under the conditions of diamond-mining operations. Mining Science and Technology (Russia). 2024;9(2):170-182. https://doi.org/10.17073/2500-0632-2023-12-188

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We present the articles of the first issue of scientific journal "Mining Science and Technology” (Russia) for 2025:

Scientists studied finely ground tailings from the flotation processing of slags at the Sredneuralsky Copper Smelter ("SUMZ technical sands"), which contain zinc (3.3–3.9%) and copper (0.4–0.5%). These wastes can serve both as a source of valuable metals and as a potential environmental hazard. The study examined the material composition of the magnetic fractions of the "technical sands" and evaluated the efficiency of wet magnetic separation for extracting valuable components. Chemical and phase analyses revealed that zinc and copper were distributed relatively evenly across the fractions, with a slight increase in copper in the non-magnetic fraction and zinc in the weakly magnetic fraction. The application of wet magnetic separation under standard conditions proved insufficiently effective, indicating the need for further research to optimize the technology. The results are important for developing new methods of processing copper smelting waste and reducing its environmental impact.

For more information, see the article:

📌 Kotelnikova А.L., Zolotova E.S. Material composition of magnetic fractions of copper-smelting slag flotation tailings. Mining Science and Technology (Russia). 2025;10(1):56-66. https://doi.org/10.17073/2500-0632-2023-08-142

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#InEnglish #MST #CopperSmeltingProduction #MineralWaste #CopperSmeltingSlag #FlotationTailings #Recycling #MagneticSeparation #ThermomagneticAnalysis #MagneticFractions #MagneticProperties #Fayalite #Forsterite #Diopside #Magnetite #Sphalerite #Zincite #HeavyMetals #WasteProcessing #NonferrousMetallurgy #EnvironmentalImpact #ResourceRecovery #SlagUtilization #Geochemistry #Mineralogy #SustainableMining #TechnogenicRawMaterials #Copper #Slags #Zinc #Waste #Flotation #Separation #Magnetism #Minerals #Ecology #Processing #Research #Technologies #Utilization #Disposal #Geology