Ecological engineering of iron ore tailings into useable soils for sustainable rehabilitation
Songlin Wu,
Yunjia Liu,
Gordon Southam,
Tuan A.H. Nguyen,
Kurt O. Konhauser,
Fang You,
Jeremy J. Bougoure,
David Paterson,
Ting-Shan Chan,
Ying-Rui Lu,
Shu-Chih Haw,
Qing Yi,
Zhen Li,
Lachlan M. Robertson,
Merinda Hall,
Narottam Saha,
Yong Sik Ok,
Longbin Huang
Affiliations
Songlin Wu
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Yunjia Liu
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Gordon Southam
School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Tuan A.H. Nguyen
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Kurt O. Konhauser
Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
Fang You
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Jeremy J. Bougoure
Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
David Paterson
Australian Synchrotron, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia
Ting-Shan Chan
National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu 30092, Taiwan
Ying-Rui Lu
National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu 30092, Taiwan
Shu-Chih Haw
National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu 30092, Taiwan
Qing Yi
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Zhen Li
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Lachlan M. Robertson
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Merinda Hall
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Narottam Saha
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Yong Sik Ok
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Korea Biochar Research Center, APRU Sustainable Waste Management Program & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Longbin Huang
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Corresponding author
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.
