Case Study—Mt Carrington Tailings Dam Revegetation

“After the treatment and discharge of the tailings dam water, wetland plants have been able to colonise the exposed tailings beach. Before treatment no vegetation was able to colonise the exposed tailings or exposed dam walls.”

Virotec used in-situ remediation to treat the exposed tailings in order to reduce the long-term environmental availability of contaminants in the pedogenic environment. This was achieved by neutralising actual acidity in the oxidised tailings and immobilising potentially harzardous trace elements while adding the necessary organic carbon and nutrients required for the plant growth. 

BXL reagent is an in situ soil amendment that can be used to: 

• Create a healthy soil horizon to allow revegetation by adding essential organic matter and nutrients to the soil to allow sustainable habitat development; 

• Neutralise soil acidity in the application zone; 

• Neutralise soil acidity below the application zone; 

• Bind inorganic metal contaminants in non-bioavailable environmentally inert forms; 

• Bind phosphate, ammonium, calcium, magnesium, potassium and other essential macro and micronutrients in plant available forms; and 

• Increase moisture rentention.