The mining industry is confronted with substantial challenges in achieving environmental sustainability, particularly regarding water usage, waste management, and dam safety. The increasing global demand for minerals has led to increased mining activities, resulting in significant environmental consequences. By 2025, an estimated 19 billion tons of solid tailings are projected to accumulate worldwide, exacerbating concerns over their management. Tailings storage facilities represent the largest water sinks within mining operations. The mismanagement of water content in tailings can compromise their stability, leading to potential dam failures and environmental catastrophes. In response to these pressing challenges, the mining industry is increasingly turning to innovative solutions such as tailings dewatering and water reuse/recycling strategies to promote sustainable development. This review paper aims to (I) redefine the role of mine tailings and explore their physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics; (II) discuss environmental concerns associated with conventional disposal methods; (III) explore recent advancements in dewatering techniques, assessing their potential for water recovery, technical and economic constraints, and sustainability considerations; (IV) and present challenges encountered in water treatment and recycling within the mining industry, highlighting areas for future research and potential obstacles in maximizing the value of mine tailings while minimizing their environmental impact.

Located in the southeastern region of Morocco, the Zagora area mainly relies on groundwater as a source of water supply. However, this groundwater is often of concern, due to the limited recharge and unfavorable geological conditions for the development of the aquifer. Despite this, private wells in the Zagora ditch reveal relatively rich water resources. Geochemical and isotopic studies were conducted in the area to understand the origin of the groundwater and its salinity, aiding in informed water management strategies to assist in better planning and regulation of well construction, as well as in mitigating the impacts of high salinity on local water supply and agricultural systems. The results show that the water quality varies, with some wells having conductivity values in excess of 5 mS/cm. Most groundwater samples have high salinity and low pH due to the CO₂ dissolved in groundwater. Geochemical analysis indicated two chemical facies: chloride–sulfate calcic/magnesic and bicarbonate calcic/magnesic. The presence of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ indicated that the origin of these two elements in these waters was the dissolution of halite, with some samples showing an enrichment of Na⁺ compared to Cl⁻. This could be attributed to cation exchange. The concentration of Ca²⁺ and HCO₃⁻ suggested that their origin is the dissolution of calcite and the weathering of calcium silicate minerals such as plagioclase. The isotopic analysis showed that the δ¹⁸O values ranged from −10.98‰ to −8.54‰, and δ²H values ranged from −75.9‰ to −62.3‰. This indicated that the groundwater originated from the High Atlas with a recharge altitude between 2600 m and 2800 m. The groundwater flows into the graben through fissures and regional fault networks.

Previously conducted studies have established that soil contamination by trace elements (TEs) around coal mines affects ecological biodiversity and human health. One of the ways to protect the health of the surrounding population of coal mine sites is through the assessment of contamination impacts by accurate procedures for the establishment of relevant reclamation plan. The aim of the study is to develop an applied methodological approach to easily assess and quantify the impact of coal mining on the surrounding soils. To achieve this goal, a set of relevant geochemical indexes (enrichment factor—EF, geochemical background—GB, and geoaccumulation index—Igeo) and a geostatistical interpolation for mapping soil contamination were applied. It is experimentally established that the process of combining these techniques can be of great interest in highlighting the anomalous areas and revealing the contamination sources. A case study has been carried out on of the abandoned coal Jerada mine site in Morocco. Soils and coal mine waste rocks (CMWR) samples were collected from this site. Soil and CMWR samples were analyzed for their geochemical content. CMWRs were characterized further for their mineralogical composition and environmental behavior. Based on the EF, three TEs (As, Pb, and Zn) were targeted. The results of GB and Igeo calculations have established an evident relationship between the CMWR dump and the occurred soil contamination. TEs distribution pattern has been revealed using the obtained geochemical maps. The developed methodological approach may be in high demand when assessing soil contamination in most of abandoned coal mine sites around the word.

The substantial volumes of tailings produced during ore beneficiation present significant challenges for sustainable management due to potential public health hazards, particularly from metal leaching. The risk associated with tailings varies greatly depending on their mineralogical composition and climatic conditions. If tailings are classified as a non-hazardous by-product, they may serve as secondary raw materials, offering a sustainable alternative to the reliance on non-renewable primary resources. In this study, the recycling feasibility of tailings from an active copper mine was assessed through mineralogical characterization, environmental tests (e.g., static, kinetic, and leaching tests), and geochemical modeling. This multi-faceted approach aimed to predict the geochemical behavior and reactivity of tailings under varying conditions. Results from the static tests indicated that the tailings were non-acid generating. Weathering cell tests revealed circumneutral pH conditions (6.5–7.8), low sulfide oxidation rates, and low instantaneous metal concentrations (<1 mg/L), except for copper (0.6–3.5 mg/L) and iron (0.4–1.4 mg/L). These conditions are attributed to the low abundance of sulfide minerals, such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite (<0.1 wt.%), and chalcocite (0.2 wt.%), which are effectively encapsulated within gangue minerals. Additionally, the presence of neutralizing minerals, specifically dolomite (27.4 wt.%) and calcite (2.4 wt.%), further stabilizes pH and promotes metal sequestration in secondary mineral forms. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test confirmed low leachability, classifying the tailings as non-hazardous.