Technosol: A Collaborative Solution for

Rehabilitation of Big Scale Mining

Tailings.
Gerardo Soto, Audrey Gallaud, Carolina Soto.
 Introduction
▪ In Chile mine tailings deposits are abundant and heterogeneous.
▪ 757 tailings deposits throughout Chile.
▪ 467 of them are inactive (61.7%), 173 abandoned (22.86%), 112 active (14.8%)
and 5 are under construction (0.66%)
▪ The largest ones can cover thousands of hectares and significantly alter the
landscape.
▪ There are several technological alternatives that allow to stabilize mine tailing
however: 1- it is expensive 2- not specific to the type of tailings contamination
3- requires permits and authorizations.
 Introduction
1. Technosols are soils whose properties have a
technical origin and can be manufactured.
2. Technosols can designed using different
organic and inorganic waste materials.
3. Can be a sustainable strategy to reclaim mine
areas and reduce the contamination spread to
the environment.
4. They can be tailored to the specific problem at
hand.
 Methodology
• Prototype on a mine tailings in the
Coquimbo Region (Planta Delta, ENAMI),
located 24 km to the north of Ovalle city,
using 700 tons of manufactured
Technosol over 800 m2 with a thickness
of 55 cm.
• Mix: sediments accumulated in
agricultural irrigation reservoirs and
sewage sludge from treatment plants, in
a 50-50 proportion.
 Methodology
• We planted six different native species:
Acacia caven; Senna cummingii; Gutierrezia
resinosa; Schinus molle; Schinus polygamus
and Baccharis linearis.
• 56 blocks containing 6 replications each plant
(336 plants in total). We evaluated plant
survival (%), height (cm), and Plant Collar
Diameter (PCD) (cm). At the time of
measurement, all plants were 18 months old.
 Results (Technosol)
• The development of a Technosol
requires setting up a local, even
regional, tailings management
system to ensure access to the
inputs.
• This is extremely important since
it is the way to overcome the main
problem that mining has today is
the tailings deposits scale.
• By completely encapsulating the tailing,
prevents the generation of acid drainage
since it restricts the entry of water and
Results (Technosol)
oxygen . Std. Coefficient
Fertility Average Unit
• The Technosol was designed to retain 100.4 Deviation of Variation
L/m3 of water (usable moisture), which pH 6,0 water/1:2,5 0,69 0,11

prevents precipitation from entering the

Exchangeable Cations
tailings. CEC (Cation Exchange
20,4 meq/100g 8,10 0,40
• The prototype was created with a pH = 6.0. Capacity)
This variable that can be managed
Soil Moisture Retention
depending on the soil conditions and the
0,3 Bar 21,1 % 2,32 0,11
mix of materials. 15,0 Bar 10,7 % 1,48 0,14
• The design values of usable moisture and Usable Moisture 10,4 % 1,02 0,1
hydraulic conductivity ensure that the Hydraulic Conductivity 3,68 cm/h 0,55 0,15
Technosol is able to remain stable and
absorb the most intense precipitation.
• Acacia caven, Schinus molle, and
Baccharis linearis are excellent species
Results (vegetation)
for rehabilitating landscapes damaged
by the presence of tailings. Species
Average
Std. Coef. of
Average Height
Std. Coef. of
Survival
Name Scientífic Deviation Variation Deviation Variation
PCD (mm) (cm) (%)
• Although the designed Technosol Name (PCD) (PCD) (h) (h)
Espino Acacia caven
presents very high values of EC and 8,1 3,42 0,42 90,7 21,09 0,23 96,1%
Pimiento Schinus
available N, this does not have negative molle 9,7 4,12 0,43 105,6 16,85 0,16 100,0%
Romerillo Baccharis
consequences on the survival, biomass linearis 92,6 21,19 0,23 85,4 21,19 0,25 90,2%

production, and C capture of these Pichanilla Gutierrezia

resinosa
11,1 5,79 0,52 99,1 37,56 0,38 60,9%

species during the first 18 months of Alcaparra Senna

cumingii
8,8 7,61 0,87 95,2 28,90 0,30 80,5%
life Molle Schinus
12,4 6,42 0,52 120,3 19,27 0,16 36,7%
polygamus
• Senna cumingii is an shrub species,
whose role in a pioneer ecosystem
must be ensured to increase
biodiversity and diversify the structure.
 Conclusions…
▪ Technosol technology allows overcoming the problem of tailings scale,
without requiring sectorial permits for obtaining and applying the inputs
of the mix.

▪ Technosol proves to be a concrete alternative for landscape rehabilitation

and remediation of contaminated sites, especially when waste materials
from other industries are used due to their large availability. In this way,
Technosol can be used for large-scale tailings rehabilitations, in line with
the concept of a circular economy.

▪ The physical and chemical properties of the Technosol, allow inferring that
it is capable of chemically stabilizing the tailings.
 Conclusions…
▪ Technosols technology can be used both in the chemical stabilization of
any type of tailings, in the control of acid drainage around the tailings, and
as a sustainable support for a new ecosystem.

▪ Acacia caven, Schinus molle, and Baccharis linearis are excellent species
for rehabilitating damaged landscapes.
Conclusions- Video