This article presents the results of experimental research on the possible use of construction and demolition waste (CDW) to improve the properties of unburnt tailings originating from the thermally active spoil heap in Heřmanice (Ostrava, Czech Republic). Mining activity anywhere in the world generally entails a lot of negative impacts on the environment, which are of a long-term nature. One of the most pressing challenges in the remediation of the consequences of mining activity is the thermal activity of spoil heaps associated with the high acidity of the tailings. Active acidity (pH/H₂O), exchangeable acidity (pH/CaCl₂), hydrolytic acidity (H_a), and elemental composition of tailings and CDW have been monitored. Based on an acidity study, it has been proven that compared to burnt tailings (pH/H₂O = 8.4, pH/CaCl₂ = 8.9 and H_a = 1.4 mmol kg⁻¹), unburnt tailings show acidic properties (pH/H₂O = 3.7, pH/CaCl₂ = 3.6 and H_a = 205 mmol kg⁻¹). The bioavailability of two selected potentially toxic elements (PTEs), namely Al and Fe, was examined based on the elemental composition. BCR sequential extraction analysis was used to determine their bioavailability. It has been proven that mixing CDW with tailings has a positive effect on the pH value, which has a positive effect on the further development of the entire site. The increase in the pH value is provably dependent on the amount of construction waste added, so it can be said that the increasing amount of construction waste will result in improved parameters of the burnt tailings. The results of the BCR analysis show that aluminum from the tailings will be released both from the reducible and oxidisable fractions, where it will be mainly bound to sulphides. The relatively high concentration of Fe in the oxidisable fraction (2002 mg Fe kg⁻¹) suggests that Fe is bound to sulphides in the tailings, and it is due to the high residual pyrite and sulphide content in the dumped material, as expected. This work has found no limits where CDW no longer positively affects the acidity of unburnt tailings. For practical application, however, it is important that the mixture of CDW and tailings is properly mixed and then used for remediation.

This study provides a cost-effective method for using bottom ash from biomass combustion, which would otherwise constitute waste, to remove cadmium from acidic industrial wastewater. The X-ray powder diffraction method was used to identify the crystal forms, i.e., the arrangement of atoms in the crystal lattice, and to determine the composition of bottom ash, and the X-ray fluorescence method was used to obtain information on the elemental composition of bottom ash. The Fourier Transform Infrared method was used to analyse and identify the different functional groups occurring in bottom ash. Scanning Electron Microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray was used to obtain detailed information on the bottom ash surface. The effect of various factors on Cd removal was studied, and optimal experimental conditions were found. The kinetic and thermodynamic equations showed that the removal of Cd²⁺ using bottom ash from biomass combustion was a single-layer chemical adsorption meeting the requirements of pseudo-second-order kinetics. The limiting parameter for the effective adsorption of Cd²⁺ using bottom ash from biomass combustion is its alkaline nature. It can only be used for solutions with pH < 2, which, on the other hand, is its advantage in practical application, namely, in the final treatment of acidic industrial wastewater.

This article deals with the use of ash from biomass burning for the remediation of thermally active dump in Heřmanice, Czech Republic. Nowadays, various chemical, physical, or biological methods of remediation are used for the remediation of dumps. The authors discuss the complex use of ash from biomass as a possibility for biological remediation of the Heřmanice dump. The main advantage of obtaining ash when burning biomass is primarily the fact that it is a renewable energy source, which produces electricity and large amounts of ash, which can be used, for example, for the remediation of the Heřmanice dump. Tailings are characterized by their acidity, while fly ash is characterized by high alkalinity. This study deals with which ratio (tailings:ash) would achieve the necessary neutral values in order to prevent the release of heavy metals into the surroundings of the Heřmanice dump. The value of the active soil reaction (pH/H₂O), the value of the exchange soil reaction (pH/CaCl₂), the value of hydrolytic acidity (H_a), together with the value of soluble salts in the tailings, i.e., electrical conductivity, were also studied. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the addition of biomass combustion ash had a positive effect on the pH value of the tailings. Based on this fact, Al³⁺ is excreted more slowly into the environment. A higher content of aluminum is toxic to plants, while in a smaller amount, its content is necessary and at the same time an important factor in the process of plant growth. The mixing of alkaline ash with unburned surface tailings from the thermally active Heřmanice dump significantly influenced its acidity, which had a positive effect on increasing the active and exchange acidity.

This study focuses on the evaluation of the influence of sodium chloride on soil quality in selected locations in the Moravian-Silesian Region. A pilot study was performed in which soil samples were collected at distances of 5 m, 10 m and 20 m perpendicular to the road. The soil samples were analyzed in laboratories to demonstrate the occurrence and possible influence of de-icing material on soil and environmental quality in the vicinity of roads.