An evaluation of performance of the System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric coMposition (SILAM) in application to birch pollen dispersion is presented. The system is described in a companion paper whereas the current study evaluates the model sensitivity to details of the pollen emission module parameterisation and to the meteorological input data. The most important parameters are highlighted. The reference year considered for the analysis is 2006. It is shown that the model is capable of predicting about two-thirds of allergenic alerts, with the odds ratio exceeding 12 for the best setup. Several other statistics corroborate with these estimations. Low-pollen concentration days are also predicted correctly in more than two-thirds of cases. The model experiences certain difficulties only with intermediate pollen concentrations. It is demonstrated that the most important input parameter is the near-surface temperature, the bias of which can easily jeopardise the results. The model sensitivity to random fluctuations of temperature is much lower. Other parameters important at various stages of pollen development, release, and dispersion are precipitation and ambient humidity, as well as wind direction.

The authors examine oxidation of sulfide minerals in mine waste and the associated ecological problems. The highest environmental hazard is produced by fine-dispersed mill tailings, especially where...

The authors describe the opportunities of low-grade sulfide ores and mine waste processing with heap and bacterial leaching methods. By the example of gold and silver ores, we analyzed specific issues and processing technologies for heap leaching intensification in severe climatic conditions. The paper presents perspectives for heap leaching of sulfide and mixed ores from the Udokan (Russia) and Talvivaara (Finland) deposits, as well as technogenic waste dumps, namely, the Allarechensky Deposit Dumps (Russia). The paper also shows the laboratory results of non-ferrous metals leaching from low-grade copper-nickel ores of the Monchepluton area, and from tailings of JSC Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company.

A study of natural minerals, ore tailings and their products as materials for artificial geochemical barriers is presented. In particular, it focuses on interaction between calcite and dolomite and sulfate solutions containing nickel, copper and iron under static conditions. Calcite of -0.1 mm fraction has been shown to perform well as a barrier when added to water phases of tailing dumps and natural reservoirs. Experiments under dynamic conditions have revealed a high potential of thermally activated copper-nickel tailings as barriers. After a 500-day precipitating period on a geochemical barrier, the contents of nickel and copper in ore dressing tailings were found to increase 12- and 28-fold, respectively. An effective sorbent of copper, iron and nickel ions is a brucite-based product of hydrochloric acid treatment of vermiculite ore tailings. Its sorption capacity can be essentially increased through thermal activation.

This paper presents the results of wastewater treatment at a mining enterprise developing a complex ore deposit in the Murmansk region, Russia. The main pollutants are sulfate, manganese, and strontium. For this complex wastewater treatment, a two-stage scheme was proposed and tested using two sorbents (at a pH of 6): an aminated peat biosorbent to remove sulfate and a commercial sorbent based on the mineral brucite to remove metals. Optimal conditions were established for purifying the wastewater of sulfate and manganese and strontium ions to the level of maximum available concentrations in water bodies for fishery purposes.

Processes of surface and underground water forming in the Khibiny massif have been studied using a physical-chemical model of the “water–rock–atmosphere–organic substance” system. The obtained model solutions are indicative of the fact that formation of surface and underground water of the Khibiny massif takes place on the whole in the framework of the considered system without attracting a hypothetical outside source of pollutants. The results are of practical and methodological importance for assessment of prediction of the man-induced impact on water systems in conditions of Subarctic.