Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Ferns and lycophytes in coal mining waste and tailing landfills

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mineral coal extraction in Santa Catarina State (Brazil) Carboniferous Basin has degraded the local ecosystem, restricting the use of its areas. One of the biggest environmental impacts in the mining areas is the uncontrolled disposal of waste and sterile mining with high concentrations of pyrite, which in the presence of air and water is oxidized promoting the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD). These contaminants can be leached into water resources, restrict the use of water and soil, and cause threats to fauna and flora. This study aimed to characterize these areas as to the content of Cd, Pb, Ni and Zn metals in the tailings and waste resulting from coal mining and to survey the species of ferns and lycophytes present. Wastes and tailing samples and specimens of ferns and lycophytes were collected in 23 landfills in six municipalities in the region and in four underlying areas used as controls. Chemical and physical analyses (pH in water and pH in KCl, Ca, Mg, P, K, Na, Mn, Fe, Al, clay and OM contents) were carried out and the total contents of heavy metals Cd, Pb, Ni and Zn were determined. Sampling of ferns and lycophytes was carried out by walking. The levels of heavy metals, Cd, Ni and Zn, were below the prevention concentrations established by CONAMA Resolution 420/2009. Pb levels were above prevention values in four landfills. Sixteen species of ferns and one lycophyte were found, with hemicryptophytes the most frequent and helophytes the most adapted to the environment. Of the species found, Pteridium esculentum (G. Forst.) Cockayne, Pityrogramma calomelanos (L.) Link and Telmatoblechnum serrulatum (Rich.) Perrie, DJ Ohlsen & Brownsey demonstrated resistance to degraded and contaminated environments with Pb, which may constitute an alternative for project monitoring and environmental recovery.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Not applicable.

References

  • Akopyan K et al (2018) Assessment of residential soil contamination with arsenic and lead in mining and smelting towns of northern Armenia. J Geochem Explor 184:97–109

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ancheta MH et al (2020) Copper and arsenic accumulation of Pityrogramma calomelanos, Nephrolepis biserrata, and Cynodon dactylon in Cu- And Au- mine tailings. J Degraded Min Lands Manag 7(3):2201–2208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babaeian E, Homaee M, Rahnemaie R (2015) Archives of agronomy and soil science chelate-enhanced phytoextraction and phytostabilization of lead-contaminated soils by carrot (Daucus carota). Taylor & Francis 62(3):339–358

  • Bagheri S et al (2020) Relationship between broadleaved mixed forest understory species groups with soil and elevation in a semi-arid Persian oak (Quercus brantii L.) ecosystem. Caspian J Environ Sci 18(2):157–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Barudanović S et al (2019) State of peatland ecosystems in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fondeco Sci 1(1):48–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauret L et al (2017) Molecular data, based on an exhaustive species sampling of the fern genus Rumohra (Dryopteridaceae), reveal a biogeographical history mostly shaped by dispersal and several cryptic species in the widely distributed Rumohra adiantiformis. Bot J Linn Soc 185(4):463–481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benavente D et al (2020) Remediation by waste marble powder and lime of jarosite-rich sediments from Portman Bay (Spain). Environ Pollut 264:114786

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bilibio C et al (2021) Drainage properties of technosols made of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash and coal combustion residues on potash-tailings piles: a lysimeter study. J Clean Prod 279:123442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boukemara L et al (2017) Characterization of phosphorus interaction with sediments affected by acid mine drainage - relation with the sediment composition. Int J Sediment Res 32(4):481–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brasil. CONAMA Resolution 420 Dezember 28st 2009 which provides for criteria and guiding values of soil quality regarding the presence of chemical substances and establishes guidelines for the environmental management of areas contaminated by these substances. Brazil, DF, 2009: [s.n.]

  • Campos ML et al (2010) Impacts on soil caused by mining and landfill of coal tailings | Campos | Revista de Ciências Agroveterinárias. J Agroveterinary Sci 9(2)

  • Campos ML, Almeida JA, Souza LS (2003) Evaluation of three areas of soil built after open pit coal mining in Lauro Müller, Santa Catarina. Rev Bras Ciênc Solo 27(6):1123–1137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campos PV et al (2018) Plant diversity and community structure of Brazilian Páramos. J Mt Sci 15(6):1186–1198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen YY et al (2020) The relationship between lead and cadmium levels and functional dependence among elderly participants. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27(6):5932–5940

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Copete JC et al (2019) Relationship between floristic composition and soil nutrients in palm communities at the chocó region of Colombia and Ecuador. Rev Biol Trop 67(4):716–732

    Google Scholar 

  • Cordeiro AC, Neri AV (2019) Spatial patterns along an elevation gradient in high altitude grasslands, Brazil. Nordic Journal of Botany 37(2):njb.02065

  • Cunha MP et al (2019) Long-term performance of a UASB reactor treating acid mine drainage: effects of sulfate loading rate, hydraulic retention time, and COD/SO 42− ratio. Biodegradation 30(1):47–58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cutruneo CMNL et al (2014) A mineralogical and geochemical study of three Brazilian coal cleaning rejects: demonstration of electron beam applications. Int J Coal Geol 130:33–52

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Day P (1965) Methods of Soil Analysis 2d ed., pt. 1; Physical and mineralogical methods. Soil Sci 146(2): 138

  • Duarte AL et al (2019) Hazardous elements and amorphous nanoparticles in historical estuary coal mining area. Geosci Front 10(3):927–939

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta M et al (2020) Acid mine drainage in an Indian high-sulfur coal mining area: cytotoxicity assay and remediation study. J Hazard Mater 389:121851

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EMBRAPA 1997 Manual of soil analysis methods. https://www.infoteca.cnptia.embrapa.br

  • Eslava-Silva FDJ et al (2019) Morfo-anatomía del ciclo de vida del helecho Pteridium aquilinum (Dennstaedtiaceae) en cultivo in vitro. Rev Biol Trop 68(1):12–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filgueiras TS et al (1994) Walking: an expeditious method for qualitative floristic surveys. Cad Geosci 12(4):39–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Flora do Brasil 2020 em construção. Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. Disponível em: < http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/ >. Acesso em: 15 nov. 2020

  • Flores BD (2018) Study of the thermoplastic behavior of coal from the Barro Branco layer (Santa Catarina - Brazil) and its influence on the coking process. [s.l.] Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

  • Gasper A, Sevegnani L (2010) Lycophyta e samambaias do Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí, Vale do Itajaí, SC, Brasil. Hoehnea 37(4):755–767

  • Gee G, Bauder J (1986) Part 1-Physical and mineralogical methods. Methods of Soil Analysis. ASA, Madison

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant LD (2020) Lead and compounds. In: Environmental Toxicants. [s.l.] Wiley, p 627–675

  • Guislon AV et al (2016) Structure of herbaceous vegetation in riparian landscapes in southern Santa Catarina, Brazil. Rev Ambiente Agua 11(3):650–664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hara A et al (2016) Incidence of nephrolithiasis in relation to environmental exposure to lead and cadmium in a population study. Environ Res 145:1–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Inda AV et al (2010) Chemical attributes of constructed soils after surface coal mining related to sulphurization process. Ciencia Rural 40(5):1060–1067

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kefeni KK, Msagati TAM, Mamba BB (2017) Acid mine drainage: prevention, treatment options, and resource recovery: a review. J Clean Prod 151(10):475–493

  • Kirk Nordstrom D (2020) Geochemical modeling of iron and aluminum precipitation during mixing and neutralization of acid mine drainage. Minerals 10(6):547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehn CR, Gonzatti F, Arana MD (2020) Ferns and lycophytes from the Cerro do Tigre and Cerro Palomas, Pampa biogeographic province, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Biol Sci. https://doi.org/10.1590/2236-8906-76/2019

  • López S et al (2020) Landscape change in Southern Ecuador: an indicator-based and multi-temporal evaluation of land use and land cover in a mixed-use protected area. Ecol Indic 115:106357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marques M, Marques MM, Krupek RA (2019) Epiphytic ferns on Dicksonia sellowiana Hook caudices. (Dicksoniaceae) and Cyathea phalerata Mart. (Cyatheaceae) in a remnant of mixed ombrophilous forest in the municipality of Porto União, SC, southern Brazil. Ambiência 14(3): 549–560

  • Mickel JM (2016) Anemia (Anemiaceae), Flora Neotropica Monograph, vol 118. The New York Botanical, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Milioli G, Santos R Dos, Citadini-Zanette V (2009) Mineração de carvão, meio ambiente e desenvolvimento sustentável no sul de Santa Catarina: uma abordagem interdisciplinar

  • Mireles I et al (2016) Kinetic analysis of the decomposition of the KFe3 (SO4)2–x (CrO4)x (OH)6 jarosite solid solution in Ca(OH)2 medium. J Braz Chem Soc 27(6):1014–1025

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mota GS et al (2018) Changes in species composition, vegetation structure, and life forms along an altitudinal gradient of rupestrian grasslands in south-eastern Brazil. Flora 238:32–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moura RR De, Menezes MÂ De BC, Marques DJ (2017) Evaluation of the concentrations of rare earth elements, uranium and thorium in the soil-plant system by Neutron Activation. International Nuclear Atlantic Conference

  • Musilova J et al (2016) Environmental contamination by heavy metals in region with previous mining activity. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 97(4):569–575

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira CM et al (2019) Valorization of iron pyrite from coal mining in southern Brazil. J Environ Chem Eng 7(1):102931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier N et al (2020) Lead contamination from gold mining in Yellowknife Bay (Northwest Territories), reconstructed using stable lead isotopes. Environ Pollut 259:113888

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pena NTL et al (2019) Original article/original paper ferns and lycophytes from elephant stone, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Rodriguesia 70

  • PPG-I (Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group) (2016) A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns. J Sytematics Evol 54: 563–603

  • Prabhu, S. et al (2016) Characterization of gamma ray induced variations in plant systems View project Studies on the potential of Pteris vittata L. as a biosorbent for removal of heavy metals View project. IJRET: Int J Res Eng Technol: 2321–7308

  • Praveen A, Pandey VC (2020) Pteridophytes in phytoremediation. Environ Geochem Health 42(8):2399–2411

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R CORE TEAM. The R Project for Statistical Computing, 2013. Found in: <https://www.r-project.org/>. Acesso em: 14 set. 2020

  • Rucandio I, Petit D (1999) Determination of cadmium in coal fly ash, soil and sediment samples by GFAAS with evaluation of different matrix modifiers. Fresenius J Anal Chem 364(6):541–548

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruppenthal M (2013) Toxicologia. Santa Maria: Rede Etec Brasil 128

  • Silva LFO, Wollenschlager M, Oliveira MLS (2011) A preliminary study of coal mining drainage and environmental health in the Santa Catarina region. Brazil. Environ Geochem Health 33(1):55–65

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Somani M et al (2020) Contaminants in soil-like material recovered by landfill mining from five old dumps in India. Process Saf Environ Protect 137:82–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Souza Junior TF, Moreira EB, Heineck KS (2018) Mining tailings dams in Brazil. HOLOS 34

  • Staub CPP (2019) Adsorption of Pb 2+ by hematite and goethite nanoparticles recovered. [s.l.] Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná

  • Tabelin CB et al (2020) Solid-phase partitioning and release-retention mechanisms of copper, lead, zinc and arsenic in soils impacted by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) activities. Chemosphere 260:127574

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tedesco M et al Analysis of soil, plants and other materials. In: Porto Alegre: [s.n.]

  • Ukaj S, Rizani H, Rizani S (2019) Some plants from the lamiaceae family to KREU I AHISHTËS – KOSOVO. UBT Int Conf

  • USEPA (2007) Method 3051A: Microwave assisted acid digestion of sediments, sludges, soils, and oils. USEPA, n. February, p. 1–30

  • Walkley A, Black I (1934) An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci 37(1):29–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang HB et al (2007) Uptake and accumulation of arsenic by 11 Pteris taxa from southern China. Environ Pollut 145(1):225–233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu H et al (2020) Accumulation of heavy metals and as in the fern Blechnum orientale L. from Guangdong Province, Southern China. Water Air Soil Pollut 231(7):1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan Z et al (2019) Rapid abiotic As removal from As-rich acid mine drainage: effect of pH, Fe/As molar ratio, oxygen, temperature, initial As concentration and neutralization reagent. Chem Eng J 378:122156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

To Vanilde Citadini-Zanette to the University of the Extreme South of Santa Catarina (UNESC), the Federal Public Ministry of Santa Catarina (MPF-SC), Federal Justice of Santa Catarina (JFSC) and Santa Catarina State Scholarship Program (UNIEDU).

Funding

CAPES for the availability of the scholarship to carry out the work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Santa Catarina State University (UDESC), Florianópolis, Brazil

    Ariane Andreola, Daniely Neckel Rosini, Mari Lucia Campos, Josieli Pietro Biasi, Roseli Lopes da Costa Bortoluzzi & Davi José Miquelutti

  2. University of the Far South of Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, Brazil

    Vanilde Citadini-Zanette

  3. Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Edilane Rocha Nicoleite

Authors
  1. Ariane Andreola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniely Neckel Rosini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mari Lucia Campos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Josieli Pietro Biasi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Vanilde Citadini-Zanette
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Roseli Lopes da Costa Bortoluzzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Davi José Miquelutti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Edilane Rocha Nicoleite
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to this research. This is based on Andreola A’s thesis. Material preparation, collection and analysis of the data were performed by Andreola A, Biasi JP, Campos ML and Rosini DN. Zanette VC, Bortoluzzi RLC and Nicoleite ER worked on collecting and identifying specimens of plant species. Miquelutti DJ worked on statistical analysis. All authors wrote the article and commented on previous versions of the manuscript and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniely Neckel Rosini.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent to publish

All authors have consent to publish this article.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Elena Maestri

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Andreola, A., Rosini, D.N., Campos, M.L. et al. Ferns and lycophytes in coal mining waste and tailing landfills. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 32415–32427 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-18894-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-18894-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation