Water used by mining enterprises needs to be comprehensively recovered and utilized to achieve clean production. This requires the effective treatment of mineral processing wastewater. Wastewater produced during non-ferrous metal mineral processing contains a complex mixture of pollutants at high concentrations, making comprehensive treatment difficult. Here, the sources of and hazards posed by wastewater produced during non-ferrous metal mineral processing are introduced and the techniques for removing heavy metal ions and organic chemicals are reviewed. Chemical precipitation and adsorption methods are often used to remove heavy metal ions. Chemical precipitation methods can be divided into hydroxide and sulfide precipitation methods. Organic chemicals are mainly removed using oxidation methods, including electrochemical oxidation, photocatalytic oxidation, and ultrasonic synergistic oxidation. External and internal cyclic utilization methods for treating wastewater produced by mineral processing plants are introduced, and a feasibility analysis is performed.

Zinc oxide minerals (primarily smithsonite and hemimorphite) are important sources of Zn. Flotation is the most widely used method of enriching zinc oxide minerals for mineral processing. Chelating reagents have received extensive attention for the flotation of zinc oxide ores because of their high selectivity and stability. This paper systematically summarizes the selective separation performance and mechanisms of various chelating reagents as collectors, activators, and depressants in the flotation of zinc oxide ores. The types and mechanisms of chelating reagents in the flotation of zinc oxide ores are discussed, providing new ideas for the development of efficient flotation reagents for zinc oxide ores.