Periodic Reporting for period 2 - REMIND (Renewable Energies for Water Treatment and REuse in Mining Industries)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-11-01 do 2024-04-30
Water is essential for the mining industry, for the mineral extraction and cleaning, as well as for the needs of the miners. This makes the treatment of wastewater important.
The overall aim of REMIND is to develop an innovative framework of interplay between Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and innovative Water Treatment Technologies in the logic of a sustainable growth for mining industries. The novel paradigms explored are expected to drastically reduce the environmental impact due to extensive water and energy consumption, and to release of untreated wastewater during the production cycle of copper and gold. The REMIND collaborative network among European Union, Chile and Ecuador is in line with EU policy and strategy for raw materials supply; moreover, this partnership supports the economic and research efforts of Latin American countries towards a more eco-friendly and RES-driven development.
The bi-directional knowledge transfer activities implemented in REMIND aim to: i) implement a rational use of water resources in the logic of circular economy; ii) promote a carbon-free technological approach (water-energy nexus) for reducing conventional energy resources requirements, and iii) mitigate health environmental risk in two demonstration sites (mining districts of Antofagasta – CL and Regione de l’Oro – EC), and iv) exploit the intersectorial cooperation between academia and industry by setting best practices for knowledge transfer in analogous contexts.
REMIND brings together 12 leading High Education Institutions and Large Companies from 4 Countries (Italy, Spain, Sweden, Chile and Ecuador), and implements a multisectorial and transdisciplinary network that generates 64 secondments and 73 Knowledge Transfer Activities.
The overall aim of REMIND is to develop an innovative framework of interplay between Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and innovative Water Treatment Technologies in the logic of a sustainable growth for mining industries. The novel paradigms explored are expected to drastically reduce the environmental impact due to extensive water and energy consumption, and to release of untreated wastewater during the production cycle of copper and gold. The REMIND collaborative network among European Union, Chile and Ecuador is in line with EU policy and strategy for raw materials supply; moreover, this partnership supports the economic and research efforts of Latin American countries towards a more eco-friendly and RES-driven development.
The bi-directional knowledge transfer activities implemented in REMIND aim to: i) implement a rational use of water resources in the logic of circular economy; ii) promote a carbon-free technological approach (water-energy nexus) for reducing conventional energy resources requirements, and iii) mitigate health environmental risk in two demonstration sites (mining districts of Antofagasta – CL and Regione de l’Oro – EC), and iv) exploit the intersectorial cooperation between academia and industry by setting best practices for knowledge transfer in analogous contexts.
REMIND brings together 12 leading High Education Institutions and Large Companies from 4 Countries (Italy, Spain, Sweden, Chile and Ecuador), and implements a multisectorial and transdisciplinary network that generates 64 secondments and 73 Knowledge Transfer Activities.
REMIND network is not only used to exchange the expertise and train of young researchers, but also to promote the understanding and support implementation of the best practices identified from the project for sustainably integrated local systems in South America. Research cases mainly come from the Antofagasta Region (Chile) and El Oro Province (Ecuador), since their potential role in the renewable energies and water treatment in the mining sector.
During the REMIND secondments, a few visits in the Antofagasta Region were devoted to select the best pilot-site to investigate and explore needed policies and technological solutions - through case-based research - oriented towards the design of process layout for optimized water-energy nexus in the logic of Process Intensification and Circular Economy. Thanks to the willingness of the Mantos de la Luna Company to investigate their mines, we selected the Mantos de la Luna site as the pilot-site for REMIND. The exploited ore is porphyry copper with a high copper content. This mineral has been processed in the site for 13 years in open pit.
REMIND action is implemented in Southern Ecuador too, selecting the area to investigate and explore needed policies and technological solutions - through case-based research - oriented towards the design of process layout for optimized water-energy nexus in the logic of Process Intensification and Circular Economy. The selected area was El Oro Province. During our field visit (June 2019; April-July 2022) we could verify (in situ samplings, interviews with local inhabitants) the actual contamination of all the regional rivers and creeks, and possibly aquifers; local inhabitants – both in urban and rural areas – being systematically exposed to the risk of heavy metals intake, via water drinking and crops irrigation. Up to date it is unclear if the irrigation systems drain water from heavily polluted water sources or reserves, the irrigation water being used in world-class farming of banana, cacao, coffee and shrimps, which eventually are sold to EU countries (Ecuador signed a Free Trade Agreement with EU in 2016). The majority of the time during the first year of the scientific implementation of the action has gone in selecting, collecting and sharing all the relevant published articles and writings on heavy metals and Hg pollution due to gold mining in El Oro Province, Ecuador. Particular emphasis and sensibility have been given to social, economic and also political aspects caused by small-scale gold mining in the region, both formal/legal and informal/illegal.
During the REMIND secondments, a few visits in the Antofagasta Region were devoted to select the best pilot-site to investigate and explore needed policies and technological solutions - through case-based research - oriented towards the design of process layout for optimized water-energy nexus in the logic of Process Intensification and Circular Economy. Thanks to the willingness of the Mantos de la Luna Company to investigate their mines, we selected the Mantos de la Luna site as the pilot-site for REMIND. The exploited ore is porphyry copper with a high copper content. This mineral has been processed in the site for 13 years in open pit.
REMIND action is implemented in Southern Ecuador too, selecting the area to investigate and explore needed policies and technological solutions - through case-based research - oriented towards the design of process layout for optimized water-energy nexus in the logic of Process Intensification and Circular Economy. The selected area was El Oro Province. During our field visit (June 2019; April-July 2022) we could verify (in situ samplings, interviews with local inhabitants) the actual contamination of all the regional rivers and creeks, and possibly aquifers; local inhabitants – both in urban and rural areas – being systematically exposed to the risk of heavy metals intake, via water drinking and crops irrigation. Up to date it is unclear if the irrigation systems drain water from heavily polluted water sources or reserves, the irrigation water being used in world-class farming of banana, cacao, coffee and shrimps, which eventually are sold to EU countries (Ecuador signed a Free Trade Agreement with EU in 2016). The majority of the time during the first year of the scientific implementation of the action has gone in selecting, collecting and sharing all the relevant published articles and writings on heavy metals and Hg pollution due to gold mining in El Oro Province, Ecuador. Particular emphasis and sensibility have been given to social, economic and also political aspects caused by small-scale gold mining in the region, both formal/legal and informal/illegal.
Chilean Research advances
In Remind, we provided a comprehensive and critical survey on the opportunities offered by the integration of conventional and emerging membrane technologies for a sustainable development of copper mining industry, coherently with the Circular Economy paradigm. This work critically discusses the potential and challenges of conventional and innovative membrane processes for water management of the mining industry value chain, with specific focus on the remediation of waste aqueous streams and reuse of clean water.
Moreover, an integrated process based on membrane distillation, photocatalysis and polyelectrolyte‐enhanced ultrafiltration was developed and successful employed for a sustainable arsenic remediation of contaminated groundwater. Membrane distillation permitted to produce high quality of freshwater from As contaminated aqueous solution. Overall, the integrated process ensured: i) the remediation of As contaminated water bodies; ii) the post-treatment of the by-product according to the Zero Liquid Discharge approach; iii) the mitigation of the As mobility and reactivity as a consequence of the oxidation at As(V) and its complexation with the polymer electrolyte.
Ecuador Research Advances
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining and large-scale mining in the Andean, Amazon, and Litoral Ecuadorian regions is potentially harmful to nature, and its impacts are associated with environmental degradation and deterioration of people’s health. So far, limited efforts have been directed at exploring the current situation and challenges facing the implementation of environmental policies in the country. The objective of REMIND focused on analyzing the historical and current situation and challenges of Artisanal and small-scale gold mining and large-scale mining in the Andean, Amazon, and Litoral Ecuadorian regions in relation to a political perspective (laws), socioeconomic impacts (population displacement, loss of livelihoods, migration of people, cost of living, water scarcity, and health impacts), and environmental impacts (biotic and abiotic). The methodology used was based on a literature review and interviews, and information that was discussed through an expert judgment allowed for establishing challenges to improve ASGM management. The main results indicate that lack of community participation in decision-making, insufficient coordination between government institutions, communities, and miners, and lack of control of mining activities are factors that contribute to ineffective compliance with environmental policies in the gold mining sector in Ecuador. Finally, our study concludes by considering the socioeconomic and environmental scopes within its findings for implementing effective environmental and social policies in the Andean, Amazon, and Litoral Ecuadorian regions.
In Remind, we provided a comprehensive and critical survey on the opportunities offered by the integration of conventional and emerging membrane technologies for a sustainable development of copper mining industry, coherently with the Circular Economy paradigm. This work critically discusses the potential and challenges of conventional and innovative membrane processes for water management of the mining industry value chain, with specific focus on the remediation of waste aqueous streams and reuse of clean water.
Moreover, an integrated process based on membrane distillation, photocatalysis and polyelectrolyte‐enhanced ultrafiltration was developed and successful employed for a sustainable arsenic remediation of contaminated groundwater. Membrane distillation permitted to produce high quality of freshwater from As contaminated aqueous solution. Overall, the integrated process ensured: i) the remediation of As contaminated water bodies; ii) the post-treatment of the by-product according to the Zero Liquid Discharge approach; iii) the mitigation of the As mobility and reactivity as a consequence of the oxidation at As(V) and its complexation with the polymer electrolyte.
Ecuador Research Advances
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining and large-scale mining in the Andean, Amazon, and Litoral Ecuadorian regions is potentially harmful to nature, and its impacts are associated with environmental degradation and deterioration of people’s health. So far, limited efforts have been directed at exploring the current situation and challenges facing the implementation of environmental policies in the country. The objective of REMIND focused on analyzing the historical and current situation and challenges of Artisanal and small-scale gold mining and large-scale mining in the Andean, Amazon, and Litoral Ecuadorian regions in relation to a political perspective (laws), socioeconomic impacts (population displacement, loss of livelihoods, migration of people, cost of living, water scarcity, and health impacts), and environmental impacts (biotic and abiotic). The methodology used was based on a literature review and interviews, and information that was discussed through an expert judgment allowed for establishing challenges to improve ASGM management. The main results indicate that lack of community participation in decision-making, insufficient coordination between government institutions, communities, and miners, and lack of control of mining activities are factors that contribute to ineffective compliance with environmental policies in the gold mining sector in Ecuador. Finally, our study concludes by considering the socioeconomic and environmental scopes within its findings for implementing effective environmental and social policies in the Andean, Amazon, and Litoral Ecuadorian regions.