Bitumen recovery from oil sands in northeastern Alberta, Canada produces large volumes of tailings, which are deposited in mining areas that must be reclaimed upon mine closure. A new technology of non-segregated tailings (NST) developed by Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) was designed to accelerate the process of oil sands fine tailings consolidation. However, effects of these novel tailings on plants used for the reclamation of oil sands mining areas remain to be determined. In the present study, we investigated the effects of NST on seedlings of three species of plants commonly planted in oil sands reclamation sites including paper birch (Betula papyrifera), white spruce (Picea glauca) and green alder (Alnus viridis). In the controlled-environment study, we grew seedlings directly in NST and in the two types of reclamation soils with and without added NST and we measured seedling growth, gas exchange parameters, as well as tissue concentrations of selected elements and foliar chlorophyll. White spruce seedlings suffered from severe mortality when grown directly in NST and their needles contained high concentrations of Na. The growth and physiological processes were also inhibited by NST in green alder and paper birch. However, the addition of top soil and peat mineral soil mix to NST significantly improved the growth of plants, possibly due to a more balanced nutrient uptake. It appears that NST may offer some advantages in terms of site revegetation compared with the traditional oil sands tailings that were used in the past. The results also suggest that, white spruce may be less suitable for planting at reclamation sites containing NST compared with the two studied deciduous tree species.

While determining the uranium concentration in the rock (background level) and soils on the Iberian Massif of western Spain, several geochemical anomalies were observed. The uranium concentration was much higher than the geochemical levels at these locations, and several uranium minerals were detected. The proposed uranium background levels for natural soils in the west of Salamanca Province (Spain) are 29.8 mg kg−1 in granitic rock and 71.2 mg kg−1 in slate. However, the soil near the tailings of abandoned mines exhibited much higher concentrations, between 207.2 and 542.4 mg kg−1.The calculation of different pollution indexes (Pollution Factor and Geo-accumulation Index), which reveal the conditions in the superficial horizons of the natural soils, indicated that a good percentage of the studied samples (16.7–56.5%) are moderately contaminated. The spatial distribution of the uranium content in natural soils was analysed by applying the inverse distance weighted method.The distribution of uranium through the horizons of the soils shows a tendency to accumulate in the horizons with the highest clay content. The leaching of uranium from the upper horizons and accumulation in the lower horizons of the soil could be considered a process for natural attenuation of the surface impacts of this radiogenic element in the environment. Environmental restoration is proposed in the areas close to the abandoned mining facilities of this region, given the high concentration of uranium. First, all the tailings and other mining waste would be covered with a layer of impermeable material to prevent leaching by runoff. Then, a layer of topsoil with organic amendments would be added, followed by revegetation with herbaceous plants to prevent surface erosion.

The Sanjiang Plain, which is located in northeastern China, given the distribution of temperate freshwater wetlands there and this region has considerable significance in ensuring food security in China. Two periods of farmland reclamation that occurred during the last 100 years led to the loss of nearly 80% of the area of the native wetlands, and the development of agriculture has also increased the potential environmental risks to the residual wetlands. To evaluate the effects of farmland reclamation on the accumulation of key elements within the residual wetland ecosystems, six wetland profiles in the Sanjiang Plain are selected in this study. Using age-depth models and the concentrations of key elements, the historical accumulation rates (ARs) of carbon (C), nutrient elements (N and P) and potentially toxic elements (Hg, As, Pb, Cu, and Zn) over the last 150 years are reconstructed. The results show that the ARs of the potentially toxic elements in two of the wetland profiles begin to increase during the first reclamation period (AD 1900–1930). The ARs of both of the key elements clearly increase in all of the wetland profiles during the second reclamation period (AD 1950–1980). After land reclamation had ceased, increases in population and the development of industry became major factors that caused the potential environmental risks to wetlands to continue to increase from AD 1980 to the present. During the last 100 years, reclamation has increased the potential environmental risks and has led to the storage of additional carbon in the residual wetlands of the Sanjiang Plain.

Multiple contaminants can affect plant-microbial remediation processes because of their interactive effects on environmental behaviour, bioavailability and plant growth. Recent studies have suggested that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can facilitate the revegetation of soils co-contaminated with rare earth elements (REEs) and heavy metals. However, little is known regarding the role of AMF in the interaction of REEs and heavy metals. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Claroideoglomus etunicatum on the biomass, nutrient uptake, metal uptake and translocation of maize grown in soils spiked with Lanthanum (La) and Cadmium (Cd). The results indicated that individual and combined applications of La (100 mg kg−1) and Cd (5 mg kg−1) significantly decreased root colonization rates by 22.0%–35.0%. With AMF inoculation, dual-metal treatment significantly increased maize biomass by 26.2% compared to single-metal treatment. Dual-metal treatment significantly increased N, P and K uptake by 20.1%–76.8% compared to single-metal treatment. Dual-metal treatment significantly decreased shoot La concentration by 52.9% compared to single La treatment, whereas AM symbiosis caused a greater decrease of 87.8%. Dual-metal treatment significantly increased shoot and root Cd concentrations by 65.5% and 58.7% compared to single Cd treatment and the La translocation rate by 142.0% compared to single La treatment, whereas no difference was observed between their corresponding treatments with AMF inoculation. Furthermore, AMF had differential effects on the interaction of La and Cd on metal uptake and translocation under the background concentrations of soil metals. Taken together, these results indicated that AMF significantly affected the interaction between La and Cd, depending on metal types and concentrations in soils. These findings promote a further understanding of the contributions of AMF to the phytoremediation of co-contaminated soil.

Sites contaminated with mixtures of metals, metalloids and organics are difficult to remediate as each contaminant type may require a different treatment. Biochar, with high metal sorption capacity, used singly and in combination with iron filings, is investigated in microcosm trials to immobilise metal(loid)s within a contaminated spoil, thereby enabling revegetation and degradation of organic pollutants. A mine spoil, contaminated with heavy metals, arsenic and spiked with phenanthrene was treated with either 1%w/w biochar, 5%w/w iron or their combination, enhancing phenanthrene degradation by 44–65%. Biochar treatment reduced Cu leaching and enabled sunflower growth, but had no significant effect on As mobility. Iron treatment reduced Cu and As leaching but negatively impacted soil structure and released high levels of Fe causing sunflower plant mortality. The combined treatment reduced both Cu and As leaching and enabled sunflower growth suggesting this could be a useful approach for treating co-contaminated sites.

In the Athabasca oil sands region of northern Alberta, mining companies are evaluating reclamation using constructed wetlands for integration of tailings. From May to July 2008, reproductive performance of 40 breeding pairs of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), plus growth and survival of nestlings, was measured on three reclaimed wetlands on two oil sands leases. A subset of nestlings was examined for i) feather corticosterone levels, ii) delayed-type hypersensitivity response, and iii) innate immune function. Nestlings on one of two wetlands created with oil sands process affected material (OSPM) were heavier and had greater wing-lengths, and mounted a stronger delayed-type hypersensitivity response compared those on the reference wetland. Corticosterone was significantly higher in male nestlings on one of two OSPM-containing wetland compared to the reference wetland. Body condition of 12-day-old female nestlings was inversely related to feather corticosterone. Under ideal weather conditions, reclaimed wetlands can support healthy populations of aerially-insectivorous birds. Under ideal weather conditions, tree swallow nestlings on reclaimed OSPM-affected wetlands are in good body condition and mount strong cell-mediated immune responses.

Human activities such as dams disturb the structure and function of wetlands, triggering large soil CO₂ and CH₄ emissions. However, controls over field CO₂ and CH₄ emissions and their carbon isotopic signatures in reservoir wetlands are not yet fully understood. We investigated in situ CO₂ and CH₄ emissions, the δ¹³C values of CO₂ and CH₄, and associated environments in the saturated and drained states under four elevations (i.e., the water column, <147 m, permanent inundation area without plants; the low, 145–160 m, frequently flooded area with revegetation; the high, 160–175 m, rarely flooded area with revegetation; and the upland area as the control, >175 m, nonflooded area with original plants) in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. The CO₂ emissions was significantly higher in high elevation, and they also significantly differed between the saturated and drained states. In contrast, the CH₄ emissions on average (41.97 μg CH₄ m⁻² h⁻¹) were higher at high elevations than at low elevations (22.73 μg CH₄ m⁻² h⁻¹) during the whole observation period. CH₄ emissions decreased by 90% at low elevations and increased by 153% at high elevations from the saturated to drained states. The δ¹³C of CH₄ was more enriched at high elevations than in the low and upland areas, with a more depleted level under the saturated state than under the drained state. We found that soil CO₂ and CH₄ emissions were closely related to soil substrate quality (e.g., C: N ratio) and enzyme activities, whereas the δ¹³C values of CO₂ and CH₄ were primarily associated with root respiration and methanogenic bacteria, respectively. Specifically, the effects of the saturated and drained states on soil CO₂ and CH₄ emissions were stronger than the effect of reservoir elevation, thereby providing an important basis for assessing carbon neutrality in response to anthropogenic activities.

Derelict mines pose potential risks to environmental health. Several factors such as soil structure, organic matter, and nutrient content are the greatly affected qualities in mined soils. Soil microbial communities are an important element for successful reclamation because of their major role in nutrient cycling, plant establishment, geochemical transformations, and soil formation. Yet, microorganisms generally remain an undervalued asset in mined sites. The microbial diversity in derelict mine sites consists of diverse species belonging to four key phyla: Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. The activity of plant symbiotic microorganisms including root-colonizing rhizobacteria and ectomycorrhizal fungi of existing vegetation in the mined sites is very high since most of these microbes are extremophiles. This review outlines the importance of microorganisms to soil health and the rehabilitation of derelict mines and how microbial activity and diversity can be exploited to better plan the soil rehabilitation. Besides highlighting the major breakthroughs in the application of microorganisms for mined site reclamation, we provide a critical view on plant−microbiome interactions to improve revegetation at the mined sites. Also, the need has been emphasized for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of adaptation and resistance of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere microbes in abandoned mine sites, understanding their role in remediation, and subsequent harnessing of their potential to pave the way in future rehabilitation strategies for mined sites.