Improving Mitigation of the Long-Term Legacy of Mining Activities: Nano- and Molecular-Level Concepts and Methods

Mining activities over several millennia have resulted in a legacy of environmental contamination that must be mitigated to minimize ecosystem damage and human health impacts. Designing effective remediation strategies for mining and processing wastes requires knowledge of nano- and molecular-scale speciation of contaminants. Here we discuss how modern nano- and molecular level concepts and methods can be used to improve risk assessment and future management of contaminants resulting from mining activities, and we illustrate this approach using several case studies.