The rehabilitation of acidic sulfide mine tailings contaminated with heavy metals requires integrated strategies that address soil toxicity, nutrient deficiency, and ecosystem recovery. This study evaluated the combined use of organomineral amendments, marble waste (Mw), clay (Cy), and compost (Cp) to improve soil physicochemical and biological properties, enhance Artemisia annua L. growth, and promote phytostabilization of heavy metals. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the effects of four different amendment combinations (Cy10-Cp10-Mw10; Cy7.5-Cp2.5-Mw7.5; Cy2.5-Cp5-Mw5; and Cy2.5-Cp2.5-Mw10) on amended acidic sulfur residue properties, microbial activity, enzymatic functions, and plant performance. The amendments significantly improved the soil quality, increasing the soil pH from strongly acidic conditions (pH 2.37) to near-neutral values and reducing the electrical conductivity by up to 47%. The bioavailable Cu, Zn, and Pb contents decreased by 2.8-, 3.2-, and 2.5-fold, respectively. The microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon increased up to 48.0-fold and 4.0-fold, respectively, whereas the enzyme activities (acid phosphatase, L-arginase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, and β-glucosidase) increased by 2.6-, 11.1-, 6.1-, and 2.6-fold, respectively. Enzyme stoichiometry revealed phosphorus limitation in most treatments (vector angles ranging from 73.3° to 86.3°, p < 0.05), whereas Cy10-Cp10-Mw10 shifted toward nitrogen limitation (28.4°). Carbon acquisition was highest for Cy7.5-Cp2.5-Mw7.5 (vector length: 0.42) and lowest for Cy2.5-Cp2.5-Mw10 (0.21). A. annua exhibited strong phytostabilization potential, retaining up to 78% of the accumulated metals in its roots (translocation factor < 0.3) while maintaining its biomass under stress. This study establishes a scalable, nature-based remediation framework that integrates soil amendments with resilient plants for mining-impacted landscapes.
Sahlaoui et al. (Mon,) studied this question.