Serpentine (Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄), like quartz, dolomite and magnesite minerals, is a versatile mineral group characterized by silica and magnesium silicate contents with multiple polymorphic phases. Among the phases composed of antigorite, lizardite, and chrysotile, lizardite and chrysotile are the most prevalent phases in the serpentinites studied here. The formation process of serpentinites, which arise from the hydrothermal alteration of peridotites, influences the ratio of light rare earth elements (LREE) to heavy rare earth elements (HREE). In serpentinites, the ratio of light rare earth elements (LREE)/heavy rare earth elements (HREE) provides insights into formation conditions, geochemical evolution, and magmatic processes. The depletion of REE compositions in serpentinites indicates high melting extraction for fore-arc/mantle wedge serpentinites. The studied serpentinites show a depletion in REE concentrations compared to chondrite values, with HREE exhibiting a lesser degree of depletion compared to LREE. The high ΣLREE/ΣHREE ratios of the samples are between 0.16 and 4 ppm. While Ce shows a strong negative anomaly (0.1–12), Eu shows a weak positive anomaly (0.1–0.3). This indicates that fluid interacts significantly with rock during serpentinization, and highly incompatible elements (HIEs) gradually become involved in the serpentinization process. While high REE concentrations indicate mantle wedge serpentinites, REE levels are lower in mid-ocean ridge serpentinites. The enrichment of LREE in the analyzed samples reflects melt/rock interaction with depleted mantle and is consistent with rock–water interaction during serpentinization. The gradual increase in highly incompatible elements (HIEs) suggests that they result from fluid integration into the system and a subduction process. The large differential thermal analysis (DTA) peak at 810–830 °C is an important sign of dehydration, transformation reactions and thermal decomposition, and is compatible with H₂O phyllosilicates in the mineral structure losing water at this temperature. In SEM images, chrysotile, which has a fibrous structure, and lizardite, which has a flat appearance, transform into talc as a result of dehydration with increasing temperature. Therefore, the sudden temperature drop observed in DTA graphs is an indicator of crystal form transformation and CO₂ loss. In this study, the mineralogical and structural properties and the formation of serpentinites were examined for the first time using thermo-gravimetric analysis methods. In addition, the mineralogical and physical properties of serpentinites can be recommended for industrial use as additives in polymers or in the adsorption of organic pollutants. As a result, the high refractory nature of examined serpentine suggests that it is well-suited for applications involving high temperatures. This includes industries such as metallurgy and steel production, glass manufacturing, ceramic production, and the chemical industry.

Algae absorb nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), as well as dissolved metal ions from polluted waters, and accumulate them in their tissues, thus contributing to the decontamination of water. This feature enables them to be used both as bioindicators of water pollution and in bioremediation applications aimed at the remediation of these waters. This study aims to define the dominant macroscopic green algae species developing in habitats affected by acidic leaks and currents from the copper mine operation site located in the Maden district of Elazığ province (Türkiye) and determine the extent to which these algal biomasses bioaccumulate selected metals (As, Cu, Cr, Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb, Zn) and contribute to water decontamination. For these purposes, metal (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cr, Pb and Cd) analyses were conducted on the algal biomasses collected from the abovementioned habitats and on water samples using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The dominant algal biomasses collected from the seepage water and Maden River habitats were identified as Ulothrix variabilis Kuetzing and Ulothrix tenuissima Kützing, respectively. Heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) in the biomasses of Ulothrix variabilis Kuetzing and Ulothrix tenuissima Kützing species were determined as follows: Fe (11,094 mg/kg; 8.26 mg/kg) > Cu (6787 mg/kg; 180 mg/kg) > Zn (680 mg/kg; 283 mg/kg) > Mn (525 mg/kg; 13 mg/kg) > Co (838 mg/kg; 64 mg/kg) > Ni (472 mg/kg; 95 mg/kg)> Cr (164 mg/kg; 107 mg/kg) > Pb (83.6 mg/kg; 68.7 mg/kg) > Cd (1.48 mg/kg; 5.40 mg/kg), respectively. It was found that the affinity of both algal biomasses for the selected metal ions decreased in the order of Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Cr > Pb > Cd. Also, according to the calculated bioconcentration factor, it was shown that both algal biomasses were very good heavy metal accumulators. As a result, both algal biomasses can be used as effective biomonitoring agents and bioremediators for acidic and metal-laden polluted waters.

Pollutants accumulate in aquatic habitats due to mining activities. The duckweed family includes water plants such as Lemna gibba and Lemna minor, which are tiny, delicate, free-floating aquatic plants. L. minor and L. gibba were used in this study to examine the accumulation capacities of Mo⁴⁺, Pb⁺⁺, and Cu⁺⁺ in acidic fluids from copper mining. Two reactors were assigned to L. gibba and L. minor, respectively. These plants and the reactor water were gathered daily for 8 days. Acid mine water pH, temperature, and electric conductivity were also tested daily. L. gibba and L. minor were cleaned, dehydrated, and burned in a drying oven for a whole day at 300 °C. ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy) was used to determine the Mo⁴⁺, Pb⁺⁺, and Cu⁺⁺ content of the plant and water samples. The Mo, Pb, and Cu concentrations in the copper mining acidic fluids were 30 ± 4, 260 ± 12, and 15,535 ± 322 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Regarding Mo, Pb, and Cu extraction from copper mining acidic fluids, L. gibba and L. minor performed more efficiently than control samples, gathering 29 and 177 times more Mo, 30 and 109 times more Pb, and 495 and 1150 times more Cu, respectively. Considering these findings, L. gibba and L. minor are good plants for rehabilitating polluted waters and can efficiently remove Mo, Pb, and Cu from acid mine fluids.

The Fe skarn and vein-type Cu mineralization types are common in the Eastern Taurus Mountains. This study aims to determine the U-Pb geochronology of garnets of varying sizes within the skarn zone developed at the quartz diorite–marble contact zone in Ayazpınar, Pertek District, Tunceli Province, Turkey. Additionally, this study aims to determine the age of the skarnization and the types of inclusion minerals in the garnets. Faulting and magma emplacement along the thrust plane caused mineralization in the Eastern Taurus Mountains, especially at the marble and quartz diorite contact zone between the cities of Elazığ and Tunceli. The greenish garnets found in the Ayazpınar deposit are characteristic of distal skarns, while red or brown Pertek garnets are observed in the proximal skarns. The garnets typically feature a core–rim texture. The cores of the garnet crystals are large, reddish in color, and have a high REE (Ce, Pr) content. Moreover, the cores have higher Fe and lower Al ratios, alongside higher La, Ce, and Pr contents, than the rims. We propose that the compositional differences between the rims and the cores reflect the transition from oxidized REE- and Fe3+-rich liquids to liquids with lower REE and Fe3+ contents, producing the differences in the garnet colors. Green garnets show lower REE contents than brown garnets with Fe-rich cores. The skarn under study includes the following successively formed zones: diorite → epidote skarn → garnet–magnetite → pyrite–garnet–magnetite → calcite carbonate. Diopside, magnetite, and hematite, including small grains, are surrounded or enveloped by garnets. The U-Pb age of the mineralization is 74.1 ± 5 Ma, indicating that the mineralization occurred concurrently with the intrusion settlement.

Manganese (Mn) is one of the most critical elements in the environment and is expected to become an even more important metal in the future due to its widespread use. This study examined the Mn uptake and translocation in 11 different plant species growing in mining soils in Gümüşköy,...

Serpentine (Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄), like quartz, dolomite and magnesite minerals, is a versatile mineral group characterized by silica and magnesium silicate contents with multiple polymorphic phases. Among the phases composed of antigorite, lizardite, and chrysotile, lizardite and chrysotile are the most prevalent phases in the serpentinites studied here. The ΣLREE/ΣHREE ratios of the samples are between 0.16 and 4 ppm. While Ce shows a strong negative anomaly (0.1–12), Eu shows a weak positive anomaly (0.1–0.3). This indicates that fluid interacts significantly with rock during serpentinization, and Highly Incompatible Elements (HIEs) gradually become involved in the serpentinization process. The large differential thermal analysis (DTA) peak at 810–830 °C is an important sign of dehydration, transformation reactions and thermal decomposition, and is com-patible with H₂O phyllosilicates in the mineral structure losing water at this temperature. In SEM images, chrysotile, which has a fibrous structure, and lizardite, which has a flat appearance, trans-form into talc as a result of dehydration with increasing temperature. Therefore, the sudden tem-perature drop observed in DTA graphs is an indicator of crystal form transformation and CO₂ loss. In this study, the mineralogical and structural properties and the formation of serpentinites were examined for the first time using thermo-gravimetric analysis methods. In addition, the mineralogical and physical properties of serpentinites can be recommended for industrial use as additives in polymers or in the adsorption of organic pollutants. As a result, the high refractory nature of examined serpentine suggests that it is well-suited for applications involving high temperatures. This includes industries such as metallurgy and steel production, glass manufacturing, ceramic production, and the chemical industry.