Reclamation of wastes contaminated by copper, lead, and zinc

Ming Hung WONG*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Waste materials containing toxic levels of copper, lead, and zinc, such as mine and smelter wastes, present difficult conditions for the establishment of vegetation. This article reviews the many attempts which have been made to reclaim these wastes. Inert wastes from mining and quarrying operations, such as slate quarry waste and certain colliery shales, seem to be good materials for reclaiming wastes contaminated by copper, lead, and zinc. Organic wastes, such as sewage sludge and domestic refuse, may provide only a temporary visual improvement and stabilization of the toxic materials. Nontolerant plant materials may often be planted directly on modern waste materials, which are less toxic than they were in the past. However, tolerant plant materials are needed for revegetating waste materials produced by early and more primitive extraction methods.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)707-713
Number of pages7
JournalEnvironmental Management
Volume10
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 1986

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Global and Planetary Change
  • Ecology
  • Pollution

User-Defined Keywords

  • Copper
  • Lead
  • Metal-contaminated waste
  • Reclamation
  • Restoration
  • Revegetation
  • Zinc

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