Reclamation of heaps and industrial sites built in the region of Madjarovo mine (Bulgaria)

Martin Banov, Venera Tsolova and Ivaylo Kirilov
Agricultural Academy, “N. Pushkarov” Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection, 1336 Sofia, Bulgaria

Abstract

Banov, M., Tsolova, V. & Kirilov, I. (2020). Reclamation of heaps and industrial sites built in the region of Madjarovo mine (Bulgaria). Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 26 (1), 192–197

The Madjarovo open pit for lead-zinc ore extraction is located in the land of Madjarovo city, Kardzhali District. The reclamation of technogenic territories build as a result of mining is legally carried out in two stages – (mine-) technical and biological reclamation. This article presents an option for technical and biological remediation of heaps and industrial sites built in the region of Madjarovo mine, based on the results of their pedogenic and agro-eco-chemical studies and good practices in the field of reclamation. The results show that in order to achieve an optimal restoration of natural landscape, a number of activities have to be carried out in these territories. In general, they are:

• Clearing the disturbed territories from constructional and other wastes and leveling.
• Amelioration to reduce the redistribution of metals-pollutants in environment.
• A topsoil formation by pilling of geological materials with appropriate physicochemical characteristics for complete alignment and improvement of anthropogenic territories.
• Grassing with suitable vegetation.

Keywords: mining; pollution; reclamation; amelioration; suitability

See the article as a PDF.