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The results of studies on the content of aluminum and heavy metals in benthic sediments and algae in the estuaries of the Arctic island Vaygach are presented. This island is located on the Barents and Kara Sea border, and it is part of the Pay-Khoi ridge which can be called a "continuation" of the Ural Mountains to the north. The observations were conducted in Krasnaya and Varkulyakha Rivers located in the island's southern part and flow into the Yugorsky Shar Strait. Krasnaya River is located near a polymetallic ore deposit, which was developed in 1931–1934. Reconnaissance fieldwork was carried out in the river estuaries through measurements of salinity and water level. Measurements of the mass concentration of elements in the studied samples of sediments and algae were carried out by atomic emission spectrometry. The preparation of plant samples was by microwave decomposition, and that for samples of bottom sediments was carried out by acid decomposition in an open manner. The obtained concentration samples were compared using "Tukey exploratory data analysis (EDA)". The presence of anomalies in the high content of copper, manganese, and zinc in filamentous algae at the control site in the Krasnaya River estuary was revealed. For some elements, the enrichment index was calculated relative to the upper part of the earth's crust content. It is assumed that the occurrence of this situation is due to the long-term consequences of mining polymetallic ores. The accumulation of metals in river estuaries may be related to the observed warming of the climate in the western sector of the Arctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of studies on the content of aluminum and heavy metals in benthic sediments and algae in the estuaries of the Arctic island Vaygach are presented. This island is located on the Barents and Kara Sea border, and it is part of the Pay-Khoi ridge which can be called a “continuation” of the Ural Mountains to the north. The observations were conducted in Krasnaya and Varkulyakha Rivers located in the island’s southern part and flow into the Yugorsky Shar Strait. Krasnaya River is located near a polymetallic ore deposit, which was developed in 1931–1934. Reconnaissance fieldwork was carried out in the river estuaries through measurements of salinity and water level. Measurements of the mass concentration of elements in the studied samples of sediments and algae were carried out by atomic emission spectrometry. The preparation of plant samples was by microwave decomposition, and that for samples of bottom sediments was carried out by acid decomposition in an open manner. The obtained concentration samples were compared using “Tukey exploratory data analysis (EDA)”. The presence of anomalies in the high content of copper, manganese, and zinc in filamentous algae at the control site in the Krasnaya River estuary was revealed. For some elements, the enrichment index was calculated relative to the upper part of the earth’s crust content. It is assumed that the occurrence of this situation is due to the long-term consequences of mining polymetallic ores. The accumulation of metals in river estuaries may be related to the observed warming of the climate in the western sector of the Arctic region.

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A great share of workers employed at polymetallic ores mining have to face harmful working conditions at their workplaces. To provide safe working conditions for them and to preserve their health is a vital task occupational medicine has to tackle. Polymetallic ore mining enterprises employ certain common technological processes; nevertheless, there are specific features depending on ore mining techniques and the mineralogical composition of different ores. These features determine differences both in working conditions and in occupational risks of developing occupational morbidity (OM) and work-related morbidity (WRM). By now, there have been enough studies on peculiarities of occupational health risks for workers employed at sulfide ore mines, copper-nickel ore mines and ferruginous quartzite mines. Considerably less attention has been given to assessing occupational risks for workers dealing with mining and processing copper-zinc ores. We performed complex clinical and hygienic examinations at a major copper-zinc ore mining enterprise located in the Southern Urals. The research results gave grounds for determining a category of working conditions, establishing formation peculiarities and the structure of occupational and work-related diseases among workers from various occupational groups. Occupational risks were assessed considering hygienic and medical-biological indicators. We established the highest occupational health risks for shaft sinkers, followed by drilling unit operators, timberers, excavator drivers, load haul dumper (LHD) operators and underground self-propelled machine (USPM) operators. The research results gave grounds for developing a conceptual model of assessing and managing occupational risks in the branch. The urgency of developing and implementing activities aimed at risk mitigation should be determined depending on how validated a risk is and on its rates established for specific occupational groups.

Mining regions in different parts of the world have been associated with the significant pollution of water, sediments, and soils by manganese and other chemical elements. This study assessed the degree of geochemical transformation caused by open-pit extraction and processing of mineral resources in the Kovdorsky District of Murmansk Oblast, 20 km from the Russia–Finland border. A second objective was to predict further changes co-driven by industrial pressure and high climatic instability in the polar region. The field study involved sampling water and sediments from virgin background streams and from the tailings storage facility, settling ponds, rivers, and lakes affected by ore mining and disintegration. Laboratory analyses included the study of elemental composition, redox potential, alkalinity and acidity, organic matter content, and other geochemical characteristics for a better understanding of pollutant migration patterns. We revealed elevated levels of potentially toxic elements in surface waters and bottom sediments which pose a risk to the human health via the household and drinking water supply. Pollution with manganese (Mn) was found to be the major environmental issue. Its natural presence in the river water was overridden a hundredfold by anthropogenic enrichment. This is problematic as Mn is easily bioaccumulated, which can lead to unwanted ecotoxicological effects, and—in the case of prolonged exposure to high doses of Mn and its compounds—to detrimental human health impacts. We believe that the changing climate may raise the water flow and thus expand the area of the hydrochemical anomaly. On the other hand, the activation of self-purification and dilution processes could lead to decreasing environmental Mn concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic habitats that are contaminated by toxic elements were recently shown to host abundant and diverse assemblages of bees and wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata), including numerous threatened species. However, toxic elements adversely affect insect fitness. We address the effects of toxic elements on aculeate inquilines that occupy Lipara lucens-induced galls on the common reed, Phragmites australis. We hypothesized that contamination of potential nesting and feeding habitats is associated with adverse changes in bee and wasp populations that are attracted in these environments. To address this hypothesis, we analyzed the contents of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, and S in site-matched samples of soil, reed galls, and crabronid wasp bodies and correlated them with abundance and species richness of aculeate hymenopterans in reed galls and with the number of larvae in nests of the eudominant hymenopteran, Pemphredon fabricii. The common reed was present at all the examined sites, and L. lucens-induced galls were present at all but one sampling site; the single exception was the sampling site with the highest contents of four of the seven analyzed elements. The alpha diversity of gall-associated aculeate inquilines, abundance of P. fabricii, and number of prepupae per nest of P. fabricii were not correlated with the contents of any of the seven analyzed toxic elements. We found P. fabricii to be abundantly present in habitats with extreme concentrations of toxic elements. Exposed P. fabricii accumulated Cd, Cu, and Pb, while they eliminated Fe and Zn. The obtained data did not support the hypothesis that heavy metal contamination of anthropogenic sites affects P. fabricii and other reed gall-associated aculeates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To identify development regularities related to a stress-strain state and stability of the open pit walls while mining the steeply inclined iron-ore body at various stages of mining considering deterministic and stochastic components of the rock mass structural heterogeneity. Methodology. Numerical 3D simulation of the rock stress-strain state; application of the “strength reduction” procedure to determine a safety factor, taking into account the rock mass heterogeneity based on a stochastic model. Findings. The distribution of maximum shear deformations and displacements within the rock mass, making up the pit wall, has been obtained. Potential slide surfaces and safety factors have been determined at various stages of the inclined ore body mining. The effect of the rock mass structure on the pit wall stability has been estimated. A comparison of calculations based on the 3D and 2D models has been carried out. The correction coefficient has been obtained, which allows using the 2D model for multivariate calculations. The relationship of safety factor versus the overall slope angle has been developed. Originality. It has been proved that pit walls retain their stability (the stability factor (SF) is not less than 1.27) while mining the steeply inclined ore body with the transverse panels from top to bottom within each newly cut layer, despite the increasing depth of mining. It is shown that modeling of the real geological structure of a three-dimensional rock mass area factors into the decrease in (by 7 %) the safety factor in comparison with the results of the homogeneous model. A probabilistic-statistical approach has been proposed to consider the heterogeneity of the rock mass and avoid unreasonably optimistic forecasts of the pit wall stability. It is shown that 3D modeling gives SF, which differs by 8 % from the values obtained in the 2D model. This allows substantiating the correction coefficient to improve the 2D modeling results. Practical value. The regularity of changes in the pit wall stability has been determined depending on the overall pit slope angle in terms of mining-geological and mining-technical conditions of the Kachar deposit, taking into account the real rock heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After gaining the independence, Mongolia, in the period of 1911-1919, carried out an independent policy aimed at reviving the national economy. An important policy direction of the Mongolian government in this area was considered to be the exploitation of wealth and natural resources, the proceeds from which were to be the source of the solution of financial difficulties. In these circumstances, the government of the country took concrete measures such as drafting legislative acts, entering into contracts and contracting with the company “Mongolor” and Russian entrepreneurs for the development of gold mines and increase of tax for the exploitation of the country’s wealth. All this though did not bring big economic benefits, but contributed significantly to the strengthening of national interests of the Mongolian state.

Copyright of Památky Archeologické is the property of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the underground mines of the Legnica–Głogów Copper District (LGOM) the main way to protect the room excavation is the use of a rock bolt support. For many years, it has proven to be an efficient security measure in excavations which met all safety standards and requirements. The article presents the consumption of the rock bolt support in the Mining Department “Polkowice–Sieroszowice” in the years 2010–2015 as well as the number of bolt supports that were used to secure the excavations. In addition, it shows the percentage of bolt supports that were used to conduct rebuilding work and cover the surface of exposed roofs. One of the factors contributing to the loss of the functionality of bolt supports is corrosion whose occurrence may lead directly to a reduction in the diameter of rock bolt support parts, in particular rods, bearing plates and nuts. The phenomenon of the corrosion of the bolt support and its elements in underground mining is an extremely common phenomenon due to the favorable conditions for its development in mines, namely high temperature and humidity, as well as the presence of highly aggressive water. This involves primarily a decrease in the capacity of bolt support construction, which entails the need for its strengthening, and often the need to perform the reconstruction of the excavation.

Copyright of Scientific Bulletin of National Mining University is the property of National Mining University, State Higher Educational Institution and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

OBJECTIVES: Working in mines and quarries has been associated with an elevated lung cancer risk but with inconsistent results for coal miners. This study aimed to estimate the smoking-adjusted lung cancer risk among coal miners and compare the risk pattern with lung cancer risks among ore miners and quarrymen. METHODS: We estimated lung cancer risks of coal and ore miners and quarrymen among 14 251 lung cancer cases and 17 267 controls from the SYNERGY pooled case–control study, controlling for smoking and employment in other at-risk occupations. RESULTS: Ever working as miner or quarryman (690 cases, 436 controls) was associated with an elevated odds ratio (OR) of 1.55 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.34–1.79] for lung cancer. Ore miners (53 cases, 24 controls) had a higher OR (2.34, 95% CI 1.36-4.03) than quarrymen (67 cases, 39 controls; OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.21–3.05) and coal miners (442 cases, 297 controls; OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.18–1.67), but CI overlapped. We did not observe trends by duration of exposure or time since last exposure. CONCLUSIONS: This pooled analysis of population-based studies demonstrated an excess lung cancer risk among miners and quarrymen that remained increased after adjustment for detailed smoking history and working in other at-risk occupations. The increase in risk among coal miners were less pronounced than for ore miners or quarrymen.

The results of the negative impact of mining and metallurgical production on the natural environment are presented in the article. The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of the heavy metal speciation in sediments to assess the potential ecological risk associated with anthropogenic waste deposits. An analysis of the factors of the negative impact of the extraction and processing of geomaterials on the components of the natural environment was made in the course of the research. The work reveals a fragmented degradation of the landscape under the influence of the actual production and surface infrastructure of the mining and metallurgical complex. It is shown that the violation of the required sanitarytechnical and environmental requirements for the disposal of mining and metallurgical waste leads to dangerous pollution and deformation of the components of the natural environment. Whereas, the long-term functioning of the deformed natural and anthropogenic system leads to unpredictable hazardous consequences, manifested in the development of little-known diseases of the population that lives in the zone of activity of such objects. It is shown that the environmental hazard of a natural and industrial system in mountainous terrain, in comparison with similar flat systems, increases significantly, which implies that additional measures are needed to ensure environmental safety. Moreover, the characteristics of the waste landfills for ore and concentrates processing as well as other materials are given in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold production has significant environmental impacts on ecosystem and human health. China, as the largest gold production country in the world, deserves a special attention. This study assesses the environmental impacts of gold production in China by using life cycle assessment. Key factors contributing to the total environmental burden of gold production were also identified. In addition, uncertainty analysis based on Monte Carlo was conducted to improve the reliability of results obtained in this study. Results show that impact from metal depletion category mainly from gold ore mining was the most contributor to the total environmental impact. Meanwhile, impacts from climate change, terrestrial acidification, human toxicity, particulate matter formation, marine ecotoxicity, and fossil depletion also made contributions. The overall environmental impact was dominated by key factors such as ore mining, energy consumption, and on-site emissions. Policy suggestions (e.g., maximizing resource efficiency, adjusting energy structure, promoting gold recycling, implementing ecological compensation) were proposed to promote the sustainable development of gold production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

http://dx.doi.org/10.17014/ijog.vol3no3.20083Gold ore mining at Waluran Subregency, Sukabumi Regency was carried out by an underground mining method, and only rock that contains high enough gold ore would be taken (selective mining). The gold ore from the mining was processed with a direct amalgamation method, so it produced low gold concentrate, but the concentrate of mercury discarded to the river was high enough. Monitoring result of water and sedimentation in Ciliunggunung River in 2004, showed that the river was contamined by mercury (Hg), and the contamination was above the value limit. This happened especially in August 2005 where the Hg content was about 0.218 mg/l on the Ciliunggunung River in CLG.07. The chemical analysis result of heavy metals for the water of the Ciliunggunung River in CLG.07 was known to contain Fe above the standard drinking water criteria, meanwhile Mn, Cu, Pb, and As were still under the maximum drinking water criteria value. To decrease the mercury contamination, it is suggested the process of gold ore from the amalgamation direct method to be changed to the amalgamation indirect method. The indirect gold ore amalgamation process consists of: removing fine particles by washing, grinding ore, and the amalgamation phase. The total impact of the indirect amalgamation method will increase the tying of gold by mercury, so the losing of mercury will be decreased and the gain of gold will be optimum.

Among the main objectives of the Association of Mining Clubs and Guilds of Slovakia and one of the reasons why the Association was conceived in the period of 2004-06 in the relatively advanced period of the decline of ore mining as co-operation of clubs and guilds in the mining regions is the preservation of the mining heritage and active mining activity. It ought to be projected into presentations of technical level, education and mining science, metallurgy and coinage in the territory of Slovakia and in its previous state structures, preservation of mining history and maintenance of mining traditions and customs, preservation and revitalization of mining technical works in Slovakia. It is only logical that, in addition to one of the statutory obligations to terminate the mining activity "liquidation and securing", specified and fulfilled in the program of ore mining mines declared by the government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in 1990 and approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic, 1991, whose final fulfilment is to return mainly the surface of mining operations to the original state for further civilian use, or reclamation as "pure nature" is, on the other hand, an initiative to preserve and promote the idea, that not all of the recession programme deserves destruction and disappearance from the surface of the earth. These mining, technological, transport, water and other construction works incorporated in the secondary transformed landscape create in many smaller and larger areas of the mining regions an organic whole with the landscape and document the history of our territory materialized in several cases at the level of the cultural heritage of Slovakia as well as in the lists of National Cultural Monuments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bor is otherwise a typical mining town, founded by the mine. Continued economic activity in the dominant area of extractive industry, related to the copper ore mining and processing, then for metallurgy and complementary industrial activities, what is of great importance for the town and the municipality. The northern part of the Timok magmatic complex and the Bor metallogenic zone, or the Bor mining region, covers the area in which the most significant ore fields are Bor, Veliki Krivelj Cerovo, Majdanpek, Blagojev Kamen and others. The largest technogenic formations were separated in the immediate vicinity of the Bor and Krivelj mine, and they are presented by formations originated by exploitation of mineral copper deposits (overburden) and mineral processing (flotation tailing dumps) in the immediate vicinity of Bor. Designed exploration works in the area of environmental inactive mining field were aimed to prepare the conditions for environment management, remediation of tailing dumps and landfills for disposal of mining waste in the Bor mining areas as well as the rehabilitation of ecological problems in the ore region of Bor. Exploration works included the study of the field: for disposal the tailings from Veliki Krivelj area of the Old Bor Tailing Dump (East), Saraka overburden dump, south-eastern overburden dump and RTH.

The results of long-term studies of the contents of bulk forms of metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Mn, Co, and Cd) and their mobile compounds in soils of background and human-disturbed areas within the Krasnoural'sk-Sibai-Gai copper-zinc and Baimak-Buribai mixed copper mineralization zones in the Bashkir Transural region are discussed. It is shown that soils of the region are characterized by abnormally high natural total contents of heavy metals (HMs) typomorphic for ore mineralization: Cu, Zn, and Fe for the Sibai province and Cu, Zn, and Ni for the Baimak province. In the case of a shallow depth of the ores, the concentrations of HMs in the soils are close to or higher than the tentative permissible concentration values. The concentrations of mobile HM compounds in soils of background areas and their percentage in the total HM content strongly vary from year to year in dependence on weather conditions, position in the soil catenas, species composition of vegetation, and distance from the source of technogenic contamination. The high natural variability in the content of mobile HM compounds in soils complicates the reliable determination of the regional geochemical background and necessitates annual estimation of background parameters for the purposes of the ecological monitoring of soils. The bulk content of Cu and Zn content in soils near mining enterprises exceeds the regional geochemical background values by 2-12 times and the tentative permissible concentrations of these metals by 2-4 times. Anthropogenic contamination results in a sharp rise in the content of mobile HM compounds in soils. Their highest concentrations exceed the maximum permissible concentrations by 26 times for Cu, 18 times for Zn, and 2 times for Pb. Soil contamination in the impact zone of mining enterprises is extremely dangerous or dangerous. However, because of the high temporal variability in the migration and accumulation of HMs in the soils, the recent decline in the ore mining activities, and the construction of purification facilities, no definite temporal trends in the contents of HMs in the soils have been found in the studied region for the period from 1998 to 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the issues of flexible development of production processes at mining enterprises in the conditions of market economy formation. The mechanism for managing the economic activity of a mining enterprise is formulated on the basis of regulating the extraction of ores taking into account the ability to respond flexibly to internal and external factors. It is substantiated that the optimization of the output volumes of the mining enterprise within the framework of the mechanism of flexible adaptation to the market conditions is ensured by the use of innovative technologies for stockpiling with the provision of profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual output of Hungarian underground coal mining has been obviously and continuously decreasing for the past four-five decades. Some events, e.g. reducing number of mines and especially longwalls, etc. were not really obvious, as they were real steps of modernizing mining technology. By the end of the 1980ies evident economic problems changed the perspective of the mines. Many of them joined to the neighboring thermal power plants and others operated as independent enterprises mostly for extracting household coal. The last coal mine, part of joint venture with a coal-fired power plant was shut down at the end of 2014. Only one small underground mine of low output and simple machinery are still in operation, sometimes having some difficulties from financial and environmental aspects. But fortunately several smaller mines operate economically. On the other hand a new safety regulation was issued some years ago for underground mining in Hungary. Questions of ability of small mines to meet requirements of this regulation are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the acid processing of aluminosilicate ores, the temporary precipitation of a white solid phase principally consisting in calcium sulfate and aluminium hydroxide and/or sulfates may be observed. This study aimed to determine the nature of the solid phases, their stability and their solubility. Understanding why precipitation occurs and being able to prevent it would help avoid the clogging that may occur during acid ore mining. Thus the solid–liquid equilibria of the two ternary systems Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 –CaSO 4 –H 2 O and Al 2 O 3 –SO 3 –H 2 O were defined. The first ternary highlights very low gypsum solubility, which explains why this mineral is observed so often during acid mining. However no double Al–Ca compound, in equilibrium with a liquid phase, was found. The determination of the second system was more complex as a large number of aluminium hydroxysulfates, which could appear during the ore processing, have been reported in the literature. Most of these solid phases are poorly crystallised and not well defined as they decompose rapidly and are often metastable. The use of different techniques of characterisation (X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy…) enabled the chemical composition of the solid phases to be found and also their solubility curves to be delimited. One of the aluminium hydroxysulfates decomposes rapidly when the mother solution is removed. This underlines the poor aluminium hydroxysulfate stability, which explains the difficulties in characterising them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents different types of rock bolt support used in Polish ore mining. Individual point resin and expansion rock bolt support were characterized. The roof classes for zinc and lead and copper ore mines were presented. Furthermore, in the article laboratory tests of point resin rock bolt support in a geometric scale of 1:1 with minimal fixing length of 0.6 m were made. Static testing of point resin rock bolt support were carried out on a laboratory test facility of Department of Underground Mining which simulate mine conditions for Polish ore and hard coal mining. Laboratory tests of point resin bolts were carried out, especially for the ZGH Bolesław, zinc and lead “Olkusz – Pomorzany” mine. The primary aim of the research was to check whether at the anchoring point length of 0.6 m by means of one and a half resin cartridge, the type bolt “Olkusz – 20A” is able to overcome the load.The second purpose of the study was to obtain load – displacement characteristic with determination of the elastic and plastic range of the bolt. For the best simulation of mine conditions the station steel cylinders with an external diameter of 0.1 m and a length of 0.6 m with a core of rock from the roof of the underground excavations were used.

Objectives Working in mines and quarries has been associated with an elevated lung cancer risk but with inconsistent results for coal miners. This study aimed to estimate the smoking-adjusted lung cancer risk among coal miners and compare the risk pattern with lung cancer risks among ore miners and quarrymen. Methods We estimated lung cancer risks of coal and ore miners and quarrymen among 14 251 lung cancer cases and 17 267 controls from the SYNERGY pooled case-control study, controlling for smoking and employment in other at-risk occupations. Results Ever working as miner or quarryman (690 cases, 436 controls) was associated with an elevated odds ratio (OR) of 1.55 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.34-1.79] for lung cancer. Ore miners (53 cases, 24 controls) had a higher OR (2.34, 95% CI 1.36-4.03) than quarrymen (67 cases, 39 controls; OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.21-3.05) and coal miners (442 cases, 297 controls; OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.18-1.67), but CI overlapped. We did not observe trends by duration of exposure or time since last exposure. Conclusions This pooled analysis of population-based studies demonstrated an excess lung cancer risk among miners and quarrymen that remained increased after adjustment for detailed smoking history and working in other at-risk occupations. The increase in risk among coal miners were less pronounced than for ore miners or quarrymen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses three examples of deserted medieval mining complexes in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands in the context of the medieval mining industry. An important part in the interdisciplinary research was played by the natural-science analytical methods of geochemistry, dendrochronology and paleobotany. Current mining archaeology of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands relies on emergency research. Research and documentation of the subterranean mining works are lacking so far. Research of the surface buildings allows a very detailed study of the finishing technologies as well as of the infrastructure and logistics of mining and metallurgical equipment of the 13th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to introduce the current state of archaeological research of old mining in Lower Silesia. The study of this subject has already had a tradition of 40 years. Nevertheless, in all these years there has never been an attempt to synthesize or to compare Lower Silesian mining area to other European mining regions. In the last few years, the processing of archive material about the former excavations by Józef Kaźmierczyk as well as the results presented by other researchers (miners, geologists) have shown a clear progress due to new terrain research. In the 13th as and 17th century the gold mining regions were very powerful. Mining, extraction and washing out of gold from the gold-bearing sands in the environs of Złotoryja, Lwówek Śląski, Bolesławiec and Głuchołazy were the most significant part of mining works in the early 13th century. The results of the archeological research of sites relating to mining and washing out of gold were described in the article. In the 13th and 14th century mining works were started in the two other mining regions in Lower Silesia that is in Złoty Stok and Miedzianka. In the mentioned centre the mining of gold, copper, silver and lead ore was only possible in the close-to-surface richest parts of the deposits. The mining activities and metallurgy were probably in the hands of the Cistercians from Kamieniec Ząbkowicki and Lubiąż or in possession of local nobility and the mining companies' members. The castles, which were of the great significance for administration and management of the mining and metallurgy works, were built close to shafts, drifts or smelting places. The research project (2008-2009) which is being presented here, improved documentation concerning the already known sites and additionally developed knowledge about the mining areas that have not been investigated sufficiently up to date, mainly the sites from the 15th and 16th century (shafts, drifts or smelting places). The inventories contain 146 mining sites (74 for gold, 32 for copper, 31 for silver and lead, 9 for tin). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European mining industry faces increasing challenges to meet the environmental requirements and to convince the local communities over the need and benefit of its existence. Communities and residents near mine sites have increasing concern over the use of the different mining and processing technologies. They need to know the scientific background of these technologies ,their impact on the environment and the risks involved. This information, which normally comes from authorities, companies should be detailed, simple, transparent and unbiased. To access the public and provide them with such information. improved techniques and multinational network are needed. In this network mining professionals and environmentalist should find common language and platform to discuss the benefits and hazards of mining and formulate joint opinions.. The OMENTIN projects aims to establish and develop this platform, and attempts to develop.

In November 2015, two iron ore tailing dams collapsed in the city of Mariana, Brazil. The dams' collapse generated a wave of approximately 50 million m 3 of a mixture of mining waste and water. It was a major environmental tragedy in Brazilian history, which damaged rivers, and cities 660 km away in the Doce River basin until it reached the ocean coast. Shortly after the incident, several reports informed that the concentration of metals in the water was above acceptable legal limits under Brazilian laws. Here the microbial communities in samples of water, mud, foam, and rhizosphere of Eichhornia from Doce River were analyzed for 16S and 18S rRNA-based amplicon sequencing, along with microbial isolation, chemical and mineralogical analyses. Samples were collected one month and thirteen months after the collapse. Prokaryotic communities from mud shifted drastically over time (33% Bray-Curtis similarity), while water samples were more similar (63% Bray-Curtis similarity) in the same period. After 12 months, mud samples remained with high levels of heavy metals and a reduction in the diversity of microeukaryotes was detected. Amoebozoans increased in mud samples, reaching 49% of microeukaryote abundance, with Discosea and Lobosa groups being the most abundant. The microbial communities' structure in mud samples changed adapting to the new environment condition. The characterization of microbial communities and metal-tolerant organisms from such impacted environments is essential for understanding the ecological consequences of massive anthropogenic impacts and strategies for the restoration of contaminated sites such as the Doce River., (© 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)