How does eliminating mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining lead to achieving sustainable development goals?

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the principal anthropogenic activity that globally contributes to overloading our environment with mercury. Although the Minamata Convention, led by the United Nations, is a crucial instrument to eliminate its use progressively, novel approaches to accelerate this difficult transition are welcome. This article proposes a framework for policy-making or improvement, fostering the enforcement of mercury elimination through the lens of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the excluded artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their dependents. We move forward with a literature review of the Artisanal and Small Mining topic, taking each SDG as a unit of analysis. Understanding the problem as a puzzle of four sets of pieces, namely: (1) social, (2) environmental, (3) economic, and (4) institutional, the paper offers potential opportunities for the decision-makers and practitioners to accelerate the substitution of this heavy metal and develop sustainable futures for the ASGM communities. We conclude by proposing a pragmatic framework that synthesizes the means, actions, and ends to accelerate a sustainable transition.     

Laboratory investigation of Waelz slag stabilization

Electric Arc Furnace dusts are considered hazardous waste due to their high heavy metals content (zinc, lead, etc.). The Waelz process is one of the most efficient technologies, in terms of capacity and quality, able to recover nearly the 90% of zinc contained in such EAF dusts. Unfortunately, the resulting slag still has eco-compatibility problems, although its mechanical and chemical properties are suitable for civil engineering applications. Stabilization tests, by quartz addition, were performed on EAF dusts in a laboratory furnace. Temperature, treatment time and cooling rate were varied in order to define the best conditions for regulating the formation of a stable microstructure able to hinder the release of substances. Microstructural characterization was carried-out using SEM and XRD analysis. Leaching tests were performed according to EN 12457-2 standards and water analyses were performed using ICP-OES. The best chemical stability was achieved when dust powders were mixed with 20% of silica and water-cooled.     

黄土沉积物中次生细粒强磁性矿物记录的古气候信息

伊犁地区位于我国新疆地区西北部,为天山山脉环绕。区内降水自西向东递增,而温 度则由于海拔高度的抬升而逐渐降低。上述地理环境有利于分析和探讨温度和降水与黄土沉积 物中次生细粒强磁性颗粒数量之间关系。本研究在伊犁河谷西部地区,对不同海拔高度黄土表 层沉积物进行样品采集。环境磁学分析结果显示：黄土沉积物中次生细粒强磁性矿物含量与降 水量之间存在很好的正相关关系,而与温度之间存在反相关关系。结合黄土高原的研究结果可 以发现：温度对黄土沉积物中次生细粒强磁性矿物的数量影响微弱,降水是控制其含量的主要 因素;即：在黄土古气候研究中,次生细粒强磁性矿物的磁化率可以作为古降水量的代用指标, 但对温度变化不敏感。     

Two-step accelerated mineral carbonation and decomposition analysis for the reduction of CO2 emission in the eco-industrial parks

Carbon dioxide（CO2） emissions are a leading contributor to the negative effects of global warming. Globally, research has focused on effective means of reducing and mitigating CO2 emissions. In this study, we examined the efficacy of eco-industrial parks（EIPs） and accelerated mineral carbonation techniques in reducing CO2 emissions in South Korea.First, we used Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index（LMDI） analysis to determine the trends in carbon production and mitigation at the existing EIPs. We found that, although CO2 was generated as byproducts and wastes of production at these EIPs, improved energy intensity effects occurred at all EIPs, and we strongly believe that EIPs are a strong alternative to traditional industrial complexes for reducing net carbon emissions. We also examined the optimal conditions for using accelerated mineral carbonation to dispose of hazardous fly ash produced through the incineration of municipal solid wastes at these EIPs. We determined that this technique most efficiently sequestered CO2 when micro-bubbling, low flow rate inlet gas, and ammonia additives were employed.     

矿业权集聚、经济增长与区域贫困减缓

本文基于泰尔指数法,计算并测度了中国资源富集区的城乡收入差距与行业(矿业)收入差距,然后结合矿业权集聚度的测度结果和中国资源税改革的变动特征,建立面板数据回归模型,考察了2004—2014年中国资源富集区矿业权集聚与经济增长、贫困减缓的长期关系。本文的主要结论是:资源税对矿业权集聚水平和矿业经济增长具有正向刺激作用,但矿业经济增长并不利于地区经济的整体改进,也不利于区域贫困减缓。资源税低水平征收对"资源诅咒"和"区域贫困"具有传导效应,进而对资源富集区的贫困减缓形成阻滞作用。另外,矿业权集聚对地区贫困的影响存在异质性,异质性揭示了区域资源性收益分配存在的差异。短期来看,矿业权集聚使中央企业惠及更多,是引致"富饶中的贫困"怪圈的重要原因;但长期来看,随着矿业权集聚度的提升,地方政府获得的累积性资源性收益不断上升,渐次增强了地方政府通过社会保障支出实施收入调节的能力,总体上有利于区域贫困的减缓。因此,为实现资源富集区的精准扶贫,资源主管部门在制定减贫措施前,应根据不同区域特点区别对待,短期内应着力于调整资源性收益分配机制,赋予地方更多资源性收益,并加大对社会的保障性支出;长期来看,应探索建立合理有效的资源税体制,促进经济增长方式的多样化,并鼓励科技创新,进一步提高社会群体的受教育程度,从根本上改变区域贫困产生的内生性环境和外生性环境。     

A conceptual approach to model sand–gravel extraction from rivers based on a game theory perspective

Sand–gravel mining is a significant parameter of economic development and social welfare function in modern societies. As demand for aggregate increases in construction industry, conflicts for the availability of the resource and environmental impacts become more intense. The present paper describes the contested status quo in riverbed sand–gravel mining activities with an example from Greece, as a case study. The scope is to propose a methodology about good governance of the mining sector that promotes a sustainable sharing of aggregate resource by securing environment and safekeeping revenues in the mining trade market.     

矿产资源总体规划对四川省甘孜州资源-环境承载力影响分析研究

本文根据矿区资源环境承载力的内涵,构建了"目标层-准则层-因子层-指标层"资源环境承载力评价体系,并在此基础上通过专家咨询打分的方式,采用层次分析法(AHP法)计算得出甘孜州矿产资源总体规划实施现状年、近景年、远景年3个时间段资源-环境承载力综合指数,为四川省甘孜州矿产资源总体规划环评影响影响评价提供了技术支撑和科学根...     

金水河流域矿物元素生物地球化学交换模式

通过对金水河流域矿物元素生物地球化学交换模式的研究,得到以下结论：（1）在不同空间位置的矿物元素对河水的水质贡献率不相同。河水成分贡献主要来源于硅酸盐风化,在金水河流域生态系统不同空间位置矿物元素对河水水质贡献率方程为：YRiverwater=0.242＋0.203 XRain＋0172 XLitter＋0.471 XSoilwater（r2=0.55）。（2）固-液相界面（土壤-土壤水溶液）离子交换过程拟合表明：离子交换过程符合二、三次曲线模型。（3）区域内碳酸盐岩含较少的Na＋和K＋,且受酸雨等影响。Na＋在土壤-土壤溶液之间的分配行为可能加重土壤盐碱化的趋势。土壤和枯枝落叶层HCO3-和TDS值均处于稳定的范围内。（4）输入性污染分析表明,流域内土壤基本表现出物理性质改善;但却表现出贫养化和生物地球化学性质恶化的极化趋势。人为活动输入污染物影响显著,在全球变化背景下,酸雨和干旱加剧了水溶液组成的变化。     

Integrating soil carbon cycling with that of nitrogen and phosphorus in the watershed model SWAT: Theory and model testing

In this paper we describe and test a sub-model that integrates the cycling of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) watershed model. The core of the sub-model is a multi-layer, one-pool soil organic carbon (S_C) algorithm, in which the decomposition rate of S_C and input rate to S_C (through decomposition and humification of residues) depend on the current size of S_C. The organic N and P fluxes are coupled to that of C and depend on the available mineral N and P, and the C:N and N:P ratios of the decomposing pools. Tillage explicitly affects the soil organic matter turnover rate through tool-specific coefficients. Unlike most models, the turnover of soil organic matter does not follow first order kinetics. Each soil layer has a specific maximum capacity to accumulate C or C saturation (S_x) that depends on texture and controls the turnover rate. It is shown in an analytical solution that S_x is a parameter with major influence in the model C dynamics. Testing with a 65-yr data set from the dryland wheat growing region in Oregon shows that the model adequately simulates the S_C dynamics in the topsoil (top 0.3 m) for three different treatments. Three key model parameters, the optimal decomposition and humification rates and a factor controlling the effect of soil moisture and temperature on the decomposition rate, showed low uncertainty as determined by generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation. Nonetheless, the parameter set that provided accurate simulations in the topsoil tended to overestimate S_C in the subsoil, suggesting that a mechanism that expresses at depth might not be represented in the current sub-model structure. The explicit integration of C, N, and P fluxes allows for a more cohesive simulation of nutrient cycling in the SWAT model. The sub-model has to be tested in forestland and rangeland in addition to agricultural land, and in diverse soils with extreme properties such high or low pH, an organic horizon, or volcanic soils.     

我国矿产资源国家所有权的价值考量

我国经济高速发展的同时,出现了矿产资源大量消耗和环境严重污染的问题。许多学者认为是矿产资源国家所有权惹的祸,极力倡导所有权改制。从理性的角度出发分析,出现这种现象并不是国家所有权惹的祸,而是国家所有权的管理体制不再适应今天市场化的要求,应从管理体制和竞争方面来加强矿产资源的管理。