Abstract

SIQUEIROS VALENCIA, Jesús Rafael; LOREDO PORTALES, René; MORENO RODRIGUEZ, Verónica  and  DEL RIO SALAS, Rafael. Use of biomaterials as an alternative for remediation of mine tailings. Epistemus (Sonora) [online]. 2021, vol.15, n.31, pp.15-21.  Epub May 26, 2023. ISSN 2007-8196.  https://doi.org/10.36790/epistemus.v15i31.208.

The benefits of the mining industry are undeniable; however, its waste is frequently associated with environmental problems, due to the presence of potentially toxic elements. The proposed remediation techniques are diverse, although the use of biomaterials has recently become popular as an economical sustainable alternative, where adsorbent biomaterials synthesized by pyrolysis of biological waste are used. In this work, bone char (BC; bio hydroxyapatite), synthesized from cattle bones, was tested for the remediation of historic mining tailings in San Felipe de Jesús, Sonora, through a factorial experimental design. The results showed that BC reduces the production of efflorescent salts, in addition to buffering parameters such as pH and EC, demonstrating its potential for treating acid mine drainage.

Keywords : Mine tailings; efflorescent salts; biomaterials; remediation.