Turning mine waste into healthy soil

23 November 2023

A team led by researchers at the University of Queensland has developed an innovative method to turn harmful tailings into healthy soil.

Tailings, the waste left after extracting precious and critical minerals, often contain harmful chemicals and heavy metals that can pollute soil, water, and even crops. There are over 1800 tailings storage facilities around the world, and in 2019, a tailings dam in Brazil collapsed; close to 300 people drowned in the waste, which also polluted local land and waterways.

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