Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia:

E. R. Rudzish, Assistant at Geoecology Department, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Rudzish_E@pers.spmi.ru
T. A. Petrova, Associate Professor at Geoecology Department, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

The main problem in disturbed land reclamation in solid mineral mining is the large-scale transformation of soils and plants. Due to the intense deformation, the landscape restoration is complicated by a low thickness of layers of poor soils (or manmade soils) with a low content of organic matter. For effective reclamation, it is necessary to create conditions for the selfreplenishing biogenic accumulation of organic substances—sustainable soil and vegetation cover. As a solution, it is proposed to use a non-conventional organic soil improver—sewage sludge from the pulp and paper industry. The purpose of the study is to ascertain applicability of the proposed non-conventional improver for the formation of vegetation cover in reclamation areas disturbed as a result of mining activities. In the course of the study, the following characteristics of the proposed organic soil improver were evaluated: the composition, the potential prolonged effect, and the effect on the early growth and development of plants. The results of the composition analysis show a high content of organic matter, organic carbon, and an increased C: N ratio, from which it is concluded that the improver has the prolonged effect. The results of early plant growth were obtained in phytotesting of monocots—rye Secale cereale L. and oats Avena sativa L., and dicots—watercress Lepidium sativum L. and white mustard Sinapis alba L. It is found that sewage sludge introduced in soil in rational doses has no phytotoxic effect on the vegetation cover being formed, while shots of sludge stimulate the growth and development of sprouts and roots of the tested plants.

1. Kutepov Yu. I., Kutepova N. A., Ponomarenko M. R., Kutepov Yu. Yu. Geomechanical monitoring of slope stability in pitwall and dumps in coal mining. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2023. No. 5. pp. 69–74.
2. Moseykin V. V., Galperin A. M., Ermolov V. A., Krupoderov V. S. The analysis of the situation with mining and industrial wastes (geo-ecological aspects). GIAB. 2013. Special issue 1. Proceedings of International Scientific Symposium—Miner’s Week-2013. pp. 7–23.
3. Galperin A. M., Kirichenko Yu. V., Kutepov Yu. I. Integrated solutions for environmentally safe development of technogenic mineral formations. Gornaya promyshlennost. 2011. No. 5. pp. 22–23.
4. Mesyats S. P., Volkova E. Yu. Modern remediation concept for mining-industrial rock dumps. GIAB. 2015. Special issue 56. Deep Open Pit Mines. pp. 467–478.
5. Tagaeva T. O., Gilmundinov V. M., Kazantseva L. K. The problem of accumulating industrial mining waste in the Russian Federation. EKO. 2019. Vol. 49, No. 9. pp. 117–131.
6. Kutepov Yu. I., Kutepova N. A., Vasileva A. D., Mukhina A. S. Engineering-geological and ecological concerns in operation and reclamation of high slope dumps at open-pit mines in Kuzbass. GIAB. 2021. No. 8. pp. 164–178.
7. Kachor O. L., Sarapulova G. I., Bogdanov A. V. Investigation of the possibility of immobilization of mobile forms of arsenic in technogenic soils. Journal of Mining Institute. 2019. Vol. 239. pp. 596–602.
8. Misebo A. M., Pietrzykowski M., Woś B. Soil carbon sequestration in novel ecosystems at post-mine sites—A new insight into the determination of key factors in the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems. Forests. 2022. Vol. 13, Iss. 1. 63. DOI: 10.3390/f13010063
9. Sarapulova G. I. Geochemical approach in assessing the technogenic impact on soils. Journal of Mining Institute. 2020. Vol. 243. pp. 388–392.
10. Pashkevich M. A., Bykova M. V. Methodology for thermal desorption treatment of local soil pollution by oil products at the facilities of the mineral resource industry. Journal of Mining Institute. 2022. Vol. 253. pp. 49–60.
11. Polokhin O. V. Humus state of the young soils in the man-affected landscapes. Vestnik KrasGAU. 2010. No. 10(49). pp. 40–44.
12. Androkhanov V. A. Concept of efficient use and preservation of georesources in mineral mining. GIAB. 2007. Special issue 15. Far East-2. pp. 223–229.
13. Kostenkov N. M., Purtova L. N. Posttechnogenic soil formation on dump grounds as the factor of natural landscapes restoration. Izvestiya Samarskogo nauchnogo tsentra Rossiyskoy akademii nauk. 2010. Vol. 12, No. 1(4). pp. 1032–1038.
14. Kutepov Yu. I., Kutepova N. A., Mukhina A. S., Moseykin V. V. Geological, geotechnical and geoecological problems of reclamation of land disturbed by dumping in open pit coal mining in Kuzbass. GIAB. 2022. No. 5. pp. 5–24.
15. Mesyats S. P., Rumyantseva N. S., Volkova E. Yu. Environment-creating role of biota and rocks in remediating mining-induced landscapes. GIAB. 2015. Special issue 56. Deep Open Pit Mines. pp. 479–490.
16. Kalybekov T., Tursbekov S. V., Zhakypbek Y., Akhtaeva N. Z., Mukanova G. A. Studying the intensification of soil-forming processes in reclamation of the surface dumps. Vestnik KRSU. 2019. Vol. 19, No. 4. pp. 93–98.

17. Pashkevich M. A., Bech J., Matveeva V. A., Alekseenko A. V. Biogeochemical assessment of soils and plants in industrial, residential and recreational areas of Saint Petersburg. Journal of Mining Institute. 2020. Vol. 241. pp. 125–130.
18. Polokhin O. V. The specifics of formation of soil and vegetation cover of technogenic landscapes in the south of Amur oblast (on the example of the North-Eastern surface coal mine). Mezhdunarodnyi nauchno-issledovatelskiy zhurnal. 2022. No. 12(126). DOI: 10.23670/IRJ.2022.126.62
19. Seredina V. P., Androkhanov V. A., Alekseeva T. P., Sysoeva L. N., Burmistrova T. I. et al. Ecological aspects of biological recultivation soil of Kuzbass technogenic ecosystem. Vestnik Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Biologiya. 2008. No. 2(3). pp. 61–72.
20. Guhra T., Stolze K., Totsche K. U. Pathways of biogenically excreted organic matter into soil aggregates. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2022. Vol. 164. 108483. DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108483
21. Archegova I. B., Panyukov A. N., Kuznetsova E. G., Kovaleva V. A. On the role of biological factor in soil formation of the taiga zone. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Ser.: Biologiya. 2016. No. 2. pp. 127–139.
22. Frouz J., Keplin B., Pižl V., Tajovský K., Starý J. et al. Soil biota and upper soil layer development in two contrasting post-mining chronosequences. Ecological Engineering. 2001. Vol. 17, Iss. 2-3. pp. 275–284.
23. Khordan M. M., Bek D., Garsiya-Sanches E., Garsiya-Orenes F. Bulk density and aggregate stability assays in percolation columns. Journal of Mining Institute. 2016. Vol. 222. pp. 877–881.
24. Jordán M. M., García-Sánchez E., Almendro-Candel M. B., Pardo F., Vicente A. B. et al. Technosols designed for rehabilitation of mining activities using mine spoils and biosolids. Ion mobility and correlations using percolation columns. Catena. 2017. Vol. 148. pp. 74–80.
25. Jeżowski S., Mos M., Buckby S., Cerazy-Waliszewska J., Owczarzak W. et al. Establishment, growth, and yield potential of the perennial grass Miscanthus × Giganteus on degraded coal mine soils. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2017. Vol. 8. 726. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00726
26. Soria R., Ortega R., Bastida F., Miralles I. Role of organic amendment application on soil quality, functionality and greenhouse emission in a limestone quarry from semiarid ecosystems. Applied Soil Ecology. 2021. Vol. 164. 103925. DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.103925
27. Strizhenok A. V., Korelskiy D. S., Choi Y. Assessment of the efficiency of using organic waste from the brewing industry for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils. Journal of Ecological Engineering. 2021. Vol. 22, Iss. 4. pp. 66–77.
28. Larney F. J., Angers D. A. The role of organic amendments in soil reclamation: A review. Canadian Journal of Soil Science. 2012. Vol. 92, No. 1. pp. 19–38.
29. Wengang Zuo, Chuanhui Gu, Wenjie Zhang, Kaida Xu, Yao Wang et al. Sewage sludge amendment improved soil properties and sweet sorghum yield and quality in a newly reclaimed mudflat land. Science of The Total Environment. 2019. Vol. 654. pp. 541–549.
30. Antonelli P. M., Fraser L. H., Gardner W. C., Broersma K., Karakatsoulis J. et al. Long term carbon sequestration potential of biosolids-amended copper and molybdenum mine tailings following mine site reclamation. Ecological Engineering. 2018. Vol. 117. pp. 38–49.
31. Navarro-Ramos S. E., Sparacino J., Rodríguez J. M., Filippini E., Marsal-Castillo B. E. et al. Active revegetation after mining: what is the contribution of peer-reviewed studies? Heliyon. 2022. Vol. 8, Iss. 3. e09179. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09179
32. Eremeeva A. M., Ilyashenko I. S., Korshunov G. I. The possibility of application of bioadditives to diesel fuel at mining enterprises. GIAB. 2022. No. 10-1. pp. 39–49.
33. Chukaeva M. A., Matveeva V. A., Sverchkov I. P. Complex processing of high-carbon ash and slag waste. Journal of Mining Institute. 2022. Vol. 253. pp. 97–104.
34. Litvinova T. E., Suchkov D. V. Lightweight ash-based concrete production as a promising way of technogenic product utilization (on the example of sewage treatment waste). Journal of Mining Institute. 2023. 16020. Available at: https://pmi.spmi.ru/index.php/pmi/article/view/16020 (accessed: 15.06.2023).
35. Pashkevich M. A., Alekseenko A. V. Reutilization prospects of diamond clay tailings at the Lomonosov Mine, Northwestern Russia. Minerals. 2020. Vol. 10, Iss. 6. 517. DOI: 10.3390/min10060517
36. Kharkevich L. P. Influence of sewage sludge and liming on yield and quality of perennial grasses hay. Agrokhimicheskiy vestnik. 2011. No. 3. pp. 12–13.
38. Mezhevova A. S. Unconventional natural and technogenic fertilizers-meliorants and their opportunities. Vestnik agrarnoy nauki Dona. 2016. No. 4(36). pp. 78–83.
39. Pyndak V. I., Novikov A. E. Natural improvement made of silica and alumina. Izvestiya Nizhnevolzhskogo agrouniversitetskogo kompleksa: nauka i vysshee professionalnoe obrazovanie. 2015. No. 2(38). pp. 73–76.
40. Baranovskiy I. N., Podolyan E. A. Fertilizer mixtures with wastewater sludge on sodpodzolic soils. Molochnokhozyaystvennyi vestnik. 2017. No. 3(27). pp. 16–25.
41. Levandovskaya T. V., Chupakova A. V. Agrochemical properties of clearing constructions’ wastes in the Arkhangelsk and Solombala pulp and paper mills. Vestnik Pomorskogo universiteta. Ser.: Estestvennye i tochnye nauki. 2005. No. 2. pp. 112–115.
42. Miller V. S., Naeth M. A. Amendments and substrates to develop anthroposols for northern mine reclamation. Canadian Journal of Soil Science. 2017. Vol. 97, No. 2. pp. 266–277.
43. Smirnov Yu. D., Suchkov D. V., Danilov A. S., Goryunova T. V. Artificial soils for restoration of disturbed land productivity. Eurasian Mining. 2021. No. 2. pp. 92–96.
44. Panasin V. I., Ronzhina E. S., Shogenov T. A., Rymarenko D. A. Ecological and agrochemical aspects of using glauconitic sands in agriculture of the Kaliningrad region. Izvestiya KGTU. 2017. No. 47. pp. 148–156.
45. Matveeva V. A., Smirnov Yu. D., Suchkov D. V. Industrial processing of phosphogypsum into organomineral fertilizer. Environmental Geochemistry and Health. 2021. Vol. 44, Iss. 5. pp. 1605–1618.
46. Artico M., Firpo B. A., Artico L. L., Tubino R. M. C. Integrated use of sewage sludge and basalt mine waste as soil substitute for environmental restoration. Revista Escola de Minas. 2020. Vol. 73, No. 2. pp. 225–232.
47. Undurraga P., Hirzel J., Celis J., Pérez C., Sandoval M. A. Toxicity of paper mill pelletized waste using germination and biomass production as bioindicators. Ciencia e Investigacion Agraria. 2018. Vol. 45, No. 2. pp. 147–157.
48. Undurraga P., Hirzel J., Celis J., Pérez C., Sandoval M. A. Pelletized paper mill waste promotes nutrient input and N mineralization in a degraded Alfisol. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research. 2017. Vol. 77, Iss. 4. pp. 390–399.
49. Hechmi S., Hamdi H., Mokni-Tlili S., Zoghlami I. R., Khelil M. N. et al. Carbon mineralization, biological indicators, and phytotoxicity to assess the impact of urban sewage sludge on two light-textured soils in a microcosm. Journal of Environmental Quality. 2020. Vol. 49, Iss. 2. pp. 460–471.
50. Gallardo F., Cea M., Tortella G. R., Diez M. C. Effect of pulp mill sludge on soil characteristics, microbial community and vegetal production of Lolium Perenne. Journal of Environmental Management. 2012. Vol. 95. Supplement. pp. 193–198.
51. Gomes L. A., Santos A. F., Góis J. C., Quina M. J. Thermal dehydration of urban biosolids with green liquor dregs from pulp and paper mill. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020. Vol. 261. 109944. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109944
52. Linghong Zhang, Chunbao (Charles) Xu, Pascale Champagne. Energy recovery from secondary pulp/paper-mill sludge and sewage sludge with supercritical water treatment. Bioresource Technology. 2010. Vol. 101, Iss. 8. pp. 2713–2721.
53. Černe M., Palčić I., Pasković I., Major N., Romić M. et al. The effect of stabilization on the utilization of municipal sewage sludge as a soil amendment. Waste Management. 2019. Vol. 94. pp. 27–38.
54. Pérez R. A., Sánchez-Brunete C., Albero B., Miguel E., Tadeo J. L. et al. Quality assessment of three industry-derived organic amendments for agricultural use. Compost Science & Utilization. 2016. Vol. 24, Iss. 3. pp. 190–202.
55. Chow T. L., Rees H. W., Fahmy S. H., Monteith J. O. Effects of pulp fibre on soil physical properties and soil erosion under simulated rainfall. Canadian Journal of Soil Science. 2003. Vol. 83, No. 1. pp. 109–119.
56. Rasa K., Pennanen T., Peltoniemi K., Velmala S., Fritze H. et al. Pulp and paper mill sludges decrease soil erodibility. Journal of Environmental Quality. 2021. Vol. 50, Iss. 1. pp. 172–184.
57. Semenov V. M. Functions of carbon in the mineralization–immobilization turnover of nitrogen in soil. Eurasian Soil Science. 2020. No. 6. pp. 78–96.
58. Fang M., Wong J. W. C. Effects of lime amendment on availability of heavy metals and maturation in sewage sludge composting. Environmental Pollution. 1999. Vol. 106, Iss. 1. pp. 83–89.
59. Yuan Luo, Jie Liang, Guangming Zeng, Ming Chen, Dan Mo et al. Seed germination test for toxicity evaluation of compost: Its roles, problems and prospects. Waste Management. 2018. Vol. 71. pp. 109–114.
60. Zenkov I. V., Kiryushina E. V., Vokin V. N., Maglinets Yu. A. Review of global trends in meeting the ecological challenges of the mining industry. Part I: International rese arch. Eurasian Mining. 2022. No. 1. pp. 90–94.