Researchers at Flinders University are looking at waste materials to develop methods that can address the major challenge of mine drainage, which can cause environmental damage if left unchecked.
Flinders University experts are analysing waste materials, or tailings, from multiple mines to predict and prevent acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), one of the mining’s industry’s most persistent environmental challenges.
Professor Sarah Harmer, from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University, said research teams are uncovering how chemical and biological process slow sulfide oxidation in mine waste.
These studies can provide key insights that are vital for mine closure and land reclamation.
The five-year national Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economics’s ‘Project 3.10’ at Flinders has conducted detailed leaching experiments of up to two tonnes of mine site samples sources from 12 mine sites.
“This has given us unprecedented insights into how AMD forms under real-world conditions,” said Professor Harmer.
“Early findings are already reshaping how researchers think about the relationship between microbial activity, mineralogy, and acid generation over time, paving the way for smarter, more sustainable mine closure and rehabilitation strategies.”
The researchers are now planning to trial new remediation strategies ahead of scaling up the experiments in field conditions to deal with mine waste.
The researchers have already discussed progress with six major mining companies – Newmont, BHP, Rio Tinto, MMG, Teck Resources and FMG – specialist environmental consultancies and government agencies, and colleagues from the University of Queensland.