UTILIZATION OF BY-PRODUCTS GENERATED BY A WOOD GASIFICATION PLANT THROUGH ITS USE FOR THE RECLAMATION OF DISTURBED TERRAINS

Abstract

One of the biggest disturbances and pollutants of the environment occur due to the mining industry. For this reason, when talking about the restoration and recultivation of damaged lands and soils a recovery of the disturbed areas affected by mining activities should be first understood. Current waste management trends make us look for opportunities to recultivate disturbed mining areas by using waste or products that have the necessary properties and are a by-product (or waste) of industry. In this study, we have investigated, through laboratory methods, the possibility of using a by-product from a biomass gasification plant (FP) that potentially possesses the properties to improve soils quality during the reclamation process.

The paper analyzes the possibilities of using the FP by defining its effect on the soil forming process on disturbed sites, including: acidity, content of nutrients and mobility of heavy metals.

In order to determine the possibility of using the FP to enhance soils quality, in the experiment, we used soils that are going to be used for the reclamation of the Eastern embankment of the Ellatzite copper mine and by-product (FP), generated from a Biomass gasification plant located near the mine.

The territory that is possible to be reclaimed with FP is an embankment covered with rocks from the Ellatzite mine which has acidic reaction, high content of heavy metals and very low organic content. In general, conditions for land reclamation are severe and specific measures need to be implemented to achieve sustainable results.