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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Final Progress Reports: University of Arizona: Revegetation of Mining Wastes in Arid and Semiarid Environments: Plant-Microbe-Metal Interactions and Fertility Island Effects

Superfund Research Program

Revegetation of Mining Wastes in Arid and Semiarid Environments: Plant-Microbe-Metal Interactions and Fertility Island Effects

Project Leader: Raina M. Maier
Co-Investigators: Jon Chorover, Julie W. Neilson, Francisco E. Molina-Freaner (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), Mark D. Barton
Grant Number: P42ES004940
Funding Period: 2005-2020
View this project in the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT)

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Final Progress Reports

Year:   2019  2016  2014  2009 

This year Raina Maier and her research team have built on the success of their revegetation field trial at the Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund (IKMHSS) site to create an Industry-University Cooperative to examine "biogeochemical indicators" of revegetation success for other mine waste sites. These indicators help assess whether and what direction the mine waste being remediated is moving along a continuum of "does not support plant growth" to "supports plant growth". The IKMHSS site results have been important to the process of identifying potential indicators that might be important in predicting revegetation success. During this past year four major mining companies have signed two-year contracts with the team, through their Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining. The research team is, in collaboration, developing a research project that asks a specific on-site question for each company. These companies have agreed to share the information generated from this research among themselves and with others. The research team has further shared this concept with partners at UNAM (Universidad Autonoma de Mexico and Universidad de Sonora) who are developing a similar project at mine sites in Mexico. The ultimate goal is to use the combined information to provide regional guidance to mining companies on 1) native plants that will successful grow on mine tailings, 2) whether direct planting into a mine waste is feasible and if so, what type and how much amendment must be added, and 3) whether a soil cap is necessary and if so what depth the cap should be and how the cap composition will impact revegetation success.

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