Mining, pollution and site remediation

Extraction of minerals and metals (including metalloids and rare earth) from the Earth's lithosphere by human has resulted in large scale and extensive pollution of the environments, including top-soils, sediments, aquifer and groundwater, and streams. Proper management of mining sites, mining activity and post-mining restoration are immediate issues for industries, administrators and concerned citizens. Environmental impacts of mining and acid mine drainage have been mostly assessed by conducting chemical analysis and numerical risk assessment to derive information for predicting the possible outcomes. It is very important to look into this interdisciplinary task by geologists, environmental chemists, geomicrobiologists, ecotoxicolgists and risk assessment specialists to integrate and form comprehensive background information to establish a solid foundation to advance the subject matter to achieve best practices in ecosystem management and protection. At the same time, bioremediation of mining sites or acid mine drainage require a clear differentiation between scientific investigations in laboratory and in situ applications of technologies to avoid misinterpreting the laboratory research data and projecting non-feasible target goals.