Hazard estimation in urban home garden soils in an industrial area using microarthropods, soil properties and GIS modelling: an integrated approach.

The use of soil microarthropods as indicators of soil pollution in home gardens of an industrial area has been covered in this study. Soil samples were collected from 25 home gardens in three zones in Eloor during summer and North East monsoon from 2014 to 2018, for the study of soil microarthropods, soil properties, soil nutrients, and trace elements. The relationships among QBS-ar, microarthropod abundance, soil properties, and soil nutrients, were used to estimate the pollution hazard of the industrial area. The microarthropods present in the study area were Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diplopoda, and Araneae. A prominent study area feature was the absence of Collembola and Acari. The QBS-ar index score in these regions showed that the home gardens located adjacent to the industrial area showed low soil quality, with soil quality class values ranging from 1 to 2 throughout the study period. Discriminant analysis of soil nutrients with soil properties and microarthropod abundance showed that in Zone 1 and Zone 2, the data in 2018 was very well discriminated compared to other years. The hazard assessment in the Eloor region showed various levels of hazard zonation: Zone 1 with high-hazard and medium-hazard areas, Zone 2 with medium-hazard areas, and Zone 3 with low- and medium-hazard areas. The study is one of the first kinds that have used QBS-ar scores and soil properties along with soil nutrients and trace elements for estimating the level of hazard in home garden agroecosystems and thus points to an easy, simple, and practical approach in the monitoring and management of soil ecosystems.

Uncharted risk measures for the management of sustainable mining.

Governments commit to ensuring the welfare of their citizens by drafting and enforcing regulations that ultimately ensure the sustainability of mining. This study contributes to improving the sustainability of mining throughout the mine's lifecycle until the final destination of the mining products. We propose recommendations that address the sustainability of mining from a global perspective, framed around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), following waste hierarchy with Common Agricultural Policies, and policies from the Green Deal on climate, energy, transport, and taxation. Tailings are the most significant source of environmental impact in mining operations and, therefore, must comply with controlling regulations through Tailings Management Facilities (TMFs). However, there have been several mining accidents involving TMFs worldwide. The recommendations begin during planning, preconstruction, and construction with practices such as fair consultations, tax revenue fairness, and mandatory insurance. The operation and management support parallel industries to mining and supporting health and education. Emergency planning involves the surrounding communities in mock drills and environmental monitoring. In the closure and rehabilitation, remediation technologies such as phytoremediation, carbon sequestration incentives, and biomass valorization are recommended. Finally, supporting a circular economy by prioritizing ethical consumption, resource reduction, material recovery, and replacing toxic minerals and materials from the start with "benign by design" is recommended. The strategies involve stakeholders directly or indirectly related to the mining companies' contamination and demonstrate a commitment to the SDGs, offering a holistic perspective on scientific, social, and regulatory issues. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:949-960. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).