Reclaiming abandoned mine tailings ponds for agricultural use: Opportunities and challenges

Haoxuan Yu; Izni Zahidi; Chow Ming Fai

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.116336

Reclaiming abandoned mine tailings ponds for agricultural use: Opportunities and challenges

Environ Res. 2023 Sep 1:232:116336. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116336. Epub 2023 Jun 13.

Authors

Haoxuan Yu¹, Izni Zahidi², Chow Ming Fai³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: Haoxuan.Yu@monash.edu.
² Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: Izni.Mohdzahidi@monash.edu.
³ Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: Chow.MingFai@monash.edu.

PMID: 37321336
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116336

Abstract

Tailings ponds, large man-made structures conceived during the mining process for waste storage, often become deserted post-mining, leaving behind a stark, contaminated landscape. This paper posits that these forsaken tailings ponds can be rejuvenated into fertile agricultural land through adept reclamation efforts. Serving as a discussion paper, it engages in a stimulating exploration of the environmental and health risks linked to tailings ponds. It sheds light on the potential and impediments in the transformation of these ponds into agricultural land. The discussion concludes that despite the substantial hurdles in repurposing tailings ponds for agriculture, there are encouraging prospects with the application of multifaceted efforts.

Keywords: Environmental management; Land reclamation; Mining engineering; Sustainable agriculture.

MeSH terms

Agriculture*
Humans
Ponds* / chemistry