This thesis is motivated by problems studied as part of the Diavik Waste Rock Pile Project. Located at the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, with academic support from the University of Waterloo, the University of Alberta, and the University of British Columbia, this project focuses on constructing mine waste rock piles and studying their physical and chemical properties and the transport processes within them. One of the main reasons for this investigation is to determine the effect of environmental factors on acid mine drainage (AMD) due to sulfide oxidation and the potential environmental impact of AMD. This research is concerned with modeling pressure driven flow through waste rock piles. Unfortunately, because of the irregular shape of the piles, very little data for fluid flow about such an obstacle exists, and the numerical techniques available to work with this domain are limited. Since this restricts the study of the mathematics behind the flow, this thesis focuses on a cylindrical domain, since flow past a solid cylinder has been subjected to many years of study. The cylindrical domain also facilitates the implementation of a pseudo-spectral method. This thesis examines a pressure driven flow through a cylinder of variable permeability subject to turbulent forcing. An equation for the steady flow of an incompressible fluid through a variable permeability porous medium is derived based on Darcy's law, and a pseudo-spectral model is designed to solve the problem. An unsteady time-dependent model for a slightly compressible fluid is then presented, and the unsteady flow through a constant permeability cylinder is examined. The steady results are compared with a finite element model on a trapezoidal domain, which provides a better depiction of a waste rock pile cross section.

Laboratory and field studies were completed to characterize the geochemistry and microbiology of drainage emanating from low-S content waste-rock test piles at the Diavik Diamond Mine (Diavik) from 2007 through 2010. The potential use of small-scale laboratory humidity-cell experiments to predict the water quality from larger-scale field-based experiments also was examined. Waste rock at Diavik is segregated into three categories according to sulfide content: Type I (target concentration: < 0.04 wt. % S), Type II (target concentration: 0.04 to 0.08 wt. % S) and Type III (target concentration: > 0.08 wt. % S). Four high-density polyethylene tanks, 2 m in diameter by 2 m in height, were filled with and surrounded by waste rock (active zone lysimeters; AZLs) at the Diavik site to study the upper 2 m of the active zone within a waste-rock pile and to evaluate the quality of effluent released from waste rock with differing S contents (Type I AZLs: 0.014 wt. % S and Type III AZLs: 0.035 wt. % S). In addition, three waste-rock test piles also were constructed at Diavik, two uncovered test piles (Type I test pile: 0.035 wt. % S and Type III test pile: 0.053 wt. % S) and a third pile was constructed based on the mine-closure plan which consists of waste rock (Type III: 0.082 wt. % S) capped with a 1.5 m layer of till and a 3 m layer of Type I material (Covered test pile). Each test pile is underlain by a high-density polyethylene geomembrane that captures and directs water to outflow drains. Results show that the release and transport of blasting residuals could be used as a resident tracer, indicating the first flush of water through the AZLs and the test piles. Variations in concentrations of blasting residuals and the gradual rate of dissipation provide an indication of the heterogeneity of the distribution of blasting residuals and the relative contributions of water and solutes from different flow paths. As temperatures within the test piles increase in response to ambient air temperature increases, larger proportions of the test pile contributed to the outflow, and increased concentrations of blasting residuals were observed in waste-rock test pile effluent. Effluent from the Type I AZLs and test pile maintained near-neutral pH (ranged from 5.8 to 8) with concentrations of SO₄²⁻ < 500 mg L⁻¹. These results suggest that the near-neutral pH values were associated with the presence of carbonates in the waste rock and the lack of intense acid generation. As ambient air temperatures increased in spring and summer of each year, the measured pH in the Type III test-pile drainage decreased from near-neutral in May (pH 7.5) to acidic conditions by October (ranged from 5 to 4.5). As the pH in the Type III test pile decreased, concentrations of SO₄²⁻ and dissolved metals increased (e.g. SO₄²⁻ > 1500 mg L⁻¹) suggesting sulfide oxidation was occurring. Maximum concentrations of SO₄²⁻, Al, Zn, Ni, Co, and Cu were observed in 2009 during the first flush of water through the Type III test pile. A sequence of acid-neutralization reactions was inferred based on the water chemistry of the effluent derived from the Type III AZLs and waste-rock test pile. This acid-neutralization sequence is similar to those observed at other AMD impacted sites. A series of mineral dissolution-precipitation reactions controlled pH and metal mobility; carbonate-mineral dissolution consumed H⁺ generated from sulfide-mineral oxidation at near neutral pH and the dissolution of Al and Fe (oxy)hydroxides consumed H⁺ at pH < 5.0. The cover system on the Covered test pile dampened the effects of ambient air temperature on the internal temperatures within the core of the Covered test pile. As a result, the Covered test pile had a relatively steady change in flow rate, with decreased flow from June to August, which led to a slow but prolonged release of sulfide-mineral oxidation products, such as SO₄²⁻ and dissolved metals, including Ni, Co, Zn, Cd, and Cu, compared to the uncovered Type III test pile. The pH decreased in 2008 and remained low for the duration of the study, whereas the pH in the uncovered test pile was near-neutral at the beginning of each field season in May and decreased to < 4.2 by the end of the field season in November. The microbiological-community profiles observed in the AZLs and waste-rock test piles suggest typical AMD-related species were present in acidic effluent with elevated concentrations of metals, whereas typical soil microbes were present in effluent with a near-neutral pH and lower concentrations of SO₄²⁻ and dissolved metals. The Type III AZLs, Type III test pile, and Covered test pile maintained populations of acidophilic Fe-oxidizers, whereas, the Type I AZLs and Type I test pile maintained populations of neutrophilic S-oxidizers. Laboratory humidity-cell (1 kg) results were scaled up to estimate the water quality from the Type III AZLs (6 t) using measured physical and chemical parameters. The results suggested over-prediction of SO₄²⁻ and metal concentrations when low mean annual precipitation occurred, limiting flushing of predicted oxidation products. In subsequent years with higher mean annual precipitation oxidation products from previous years were liberated and resulted in the under prediction of SO₄²⁻ and metal concentrations. Additionally, Fe and Al were over-predicted because Fe and Al concentrations in the AZL effluent may be controlled by the solubility and formation of secondary minerals, such as Fe oxyhydroxides, jarosite, and goethite, which were not included in the scaling procedure.

Laboratory and field studies were completed to characterize the geochemistry and microbiology of drainage emanating from low-S content waste-rock test piles at the Diavik Diamond Mine (Diavik) from 2007 through 2010. The potential use of small-scale laboratory humidity-cell experiments to predict the water quality from larger-scale field-based experiments also was examined. Waste rock at Diavik is segregated into three categories according to sulfide content: Type I (target concentration: < 0.04 wt. % S), Type II (target concentration: 0.04 to 0.08 wt. % S) and Type III (target concentration: > 0.08 wt. % S). Four high-density polyethylene tanks, 2 m in diameter by 2 m in height, were filled with and surrounded by waste rock (active zone lysimeters; AZLs) at the Diavik site to study the upper 2 m of the active zone within a waste-rock pile and to evaluate the quality of effluent released from waste rock with differing S contents (Type I AZLs: 0.014 wt. % S and Type III AZLs: 0.035 wt. % S). In addition, three waste-rock test piles also were constructed at Diavik, two uncovered test piles (Type I test pile: 0.035 wt. % S and Type III test pile: 0.053 wt. % S) and a third pile was constructed based on the mine-closure plan which consists of waste rock (Type III: 0.082 wt. % S) capped with a 1.5 m layer of till and a 3 m layer of Type I material (Covered test pile). Each test pile is underlain by a high-density polyethylene geomembrane that captures and directs water to outflow drains. Results show that the release and transport of blasting residuals could be used as a resident tracer, indicating the first flush of water through the AZLs and the test piles. Variations in concentrations of blasting residuals and the gradual rate of dissipation provide an indication of the heterogeneity of the distribution of blasting residuals and the relative contributions of water and solutes from different flow paths. As temperatures within the test piles increase in response to ambient air temperature increases, larger proportions of the test pile contributed to the outflow, and increased concentrations of blasting residuals were observed in waste-rock test pile effluent. Effluent from the Type I AZLs and test pile maintained near-neutral pH (ranged from 5.8 to 8) with concentrations of SO₄²⁻ < 500 mg L⁻¹. These results suggest that the near-neutral pH values were associated with the presence of carbonates in the waste rock and the lack of intense acid generation. As ambient air temperatures increased in spring and summer of each year, the measured pH in the Type III test-pile drainage decreased from near-neutral in May (pH 7.5) to acidic conditions by October (ranged from 5 to 4.5). As the pH in the Type III test pile decreased, concentrations of SO₄²⁻ and dissolved metals increased (e.g. SO₄²⁻ > 1500 mg L⁻¹) suggesting sulfide oxidation was occurring. Maximum concentrations of SO₄²⁻, Al, Zn, Ni, Co, and Cu were observed in 2009 during the first flush of water through the Type III test pile. A sequence of acid-neutralization reactions was inferred based on the water chemistry of the effluent derived from the Type III AZLs and waste-rock test pile. This acid-neutralization sequence is similar to those observed at other AMD impacted sites. A series of mineral dissolution-precipitation reactions controlled pH and metal mobility; carbonate-mineral dissolution consumed H⁺ generated from sulfide-mineral oxidation at near neutral pH and the dissolution of Al and Fe (oxy)hydroxides consumed H⁺ at pH < 5.0. The cover system on the Covered test pile dampened the effects of ambient air temperature on the internal temperatures within the core of the Covered test pile. As a result, the Covered test pile had a relatively steady change in flow rate, with decreased flow from June to August, which led to a slow but prolonged release of sulfide-mineral oxidation products, such as SO₄²⁻ and dissolved metals, including Ni, Co, Zn, Cd, and Cu, compared to the uncovered Type III test pile. The pH decreased in 2008 and remained low for the duration of the study, whereas the pH in the uncovered test pile was near-neutral at the beginning of each field season in May and decreased to < 4.2 by the end of the field season in November. The microbiological-community profiles observed in the AZLs and waste-rock test piles suggest typical AMD-related species were present in acidic effluent with elevated concentrations of metals, whereas typical soil microbes were present in effluent with a near-neutral pH and lower concentrations of SO₄²⁻ and dissolved metals. The Type III AZLs, Type III test pile, and Covered test pile maintained populations of acidophilic Fe-oxidizers, whereas, the Type I AZLs and Type I test pile maintained populations of neutrophilic S-oxidizers. Laboratory humidity-cell (1 kg) results were scaled up to estimate the water quality from the Type III AZLs (6 t) using measured physical and chemical parameters. The results suggested over-prediction of SO₄²⁻ and metal concentrations when low mean annual precipitation occurred, limiting flushing of predicted oxidation products. In subsequent years with higher mean annual precipitation oxidation products from previous years were liberated and resulted in the under prediction of SO₄²⁻ and metal concentrations. Additionally, Fe and Al were over-predicted because Fe and Al concentrations in the AZL effluent may be controlled by the solubility and formation of secondary minerals, such as Fe oxyhydroxides, jarosite, and goethite, which were not included in the scaling procedure.

This thesis is motivated by problems studied as part of the Diavik Waste Rock Pile Project. Located at the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, with academic support from the University of Waterloo, the University of Alberta, and the University of British Columbia, this project focuses on constructing mine waste rock piles and studying their physical and chemical properties and the transport processes within them. One of the main reasons for this investigation is to determine the effect of environmental factors on acid mine drainage (AMD) due to sulfide oxidation and the potential environmental impact of AMD. This research is concerned with modeling pressure driven flow through waste rock piles. Unfortunately, because of the irregular shape of the piles, very little data for fluid flow about such an obstacle exists, and the numerical techniques available to work with this domain are limited. Since this restricts the study of the mathematics behind the flow, this thesis focuses on a cylindrical domain, since flow past a solid cylinder has been subjected to many years of study. The cylindrical domain also facilitates the implementation of a pseudo-spectral method. This thesis examines a pressure driven flow through a cylinder of variable permeability subject to turbulent forcing. An equation for the steady flow of an incompressible fluid through a variable permeability porous medium is derived based on Darcy's law, and a pseudo-spectral model is designed to solve the problem. An unsteady time-dependent model for a slightly compressible fluid is then presented, and the unsteady flow through a constant permeability cylinder is examined. The steady results are compared with a finite element model on a trapezoidal domain, which provides a better depiction of a waste rock pile cross section.

O presente estudo trata da determinação da resistência de aderência de três rochas: arenito, mármore e quartzito assentados com três diferentes argamassas (industrializada, resíduo e para porcelanato). Os ensaios de resistência de aderência à tração foram executados tanto na face lisa como na não polida (natural) dos corpos de prova e seguiram a norma NBR 14084 utilizada para material cerâmico. Os resultados obtidos foram diferentes para os conjuntos argamassas/rochas, entretanto evidenciaram o melhor desempenho da argamassa para porcelanato em todas as determinações. Alguns resultados anômalos verificados em algumas combinações foram explicados pelas características petrográficas (composição mineral, textura e estrutura), evidenciando sua relevante influência nos valores obtidos de resistência de aderência à tração. / The present study deals with the determination of bond strength of three stones: sandstone, marble and quartzite seated with three different mortars (industrialized, waste and porcelain). Tests on tension bond strength were performed in both the smooth face and the non-polished (natural) of the specimens and followed NBR 14.084 used for ceramic material. The results were different for the joint mortar/stone, but showed the best performance of the mortar for porcelain tile in all determinations. Some anomalous results observed in some combinations were explained by petrographics characteristics (mineral composition, texture and structure), indicating its important influence on the values of tension bond strength.

Mittels künstlichen neuronalen Netzen wurden die in den rekultivierten Tagebaukippen im Nordraum Lausitz (Tagebaue Schlabendorf und Seese) auftretenden Geländedeformationen infolge Bodenverflüssigung für die Jahre 2009 - 2013 als Zeitreihe modelliert. Das Modell ist in der Lage, grob die zeitliche Entwicklung und exakt die räumliche Lage des in den Kippen auftretenden Gefährdungspotenzials nachzuvollziehen und als Funktion des sich ändernden Grundwasserspiegels und der sich ändernden Oberflächenmorphologie in die Zukunft zu prognostizieren. Das Modell zeigt dynamisch das Entstehen neuer Risikoflächen in bisher scheinbar stabilen Bereichen des Untersuchungsgebietes. Die Korrektheit des Modells wurde mittels verschiedener Tests geprüft sowie anhand einer Prognoserechnung für das Jahr 2014 und des Vergleichs mit den real in 2014/2015 gegangenen Ereignissen nachgewiesen. Folgende Gefährdungsfaktoren wurden ermittelt: Destabilisierend wirken eine möglichst einförmige Lithologie folgender Zusammenset-zung: 31 % Feinsand, 34 % Mittelsand, 31 % Grobsand, 3 % Schluff, < 1 % Kies, < 1 % Kalk, < 1 % Ton, < 1 % Kohle, kf-Werte zwischen 10-4 und 10-4,5 m/s, ein Grundwasserflurabstand bei 3,45 m (Medianwert), möglichst hohe Gradienten der nicht lithologisch kontrollierten Parameter: Tagebauoberfläche, Grundwasseroberfläche, Grundwasserflurabstand und Mächtigkeit der gesättigten Kippe. Stabilisierend wirken vor allem eine möglichst große Heterogenität der Lithologie auf kleinem Raum (möglichst hohe Gradienten der lithologisch kontrollierten Parameter (z.B. Kiesgehalt, Sandgehalt, Tongehalt, Kohlegehalt)), ein möglichst geringer Sandanteil, möglichst hohe Anteile an Kies, Schluff, Ton, Kalk, bzw. Kohle, ein möglichst großer Grundwasserflurabstand sowie möglichst geringe Gradienten der nicht lithologisch kontrollierten Parameter: Tagebauoberfläche, Grundwasseroberfläche, Grundwasserflurabstand, Mächtigkeit der gesättigten Kippe sowie wechselnde kf-Werte 10-7 bzw. >10-2 m/s. Für die Bearbeitung wurden ausschließlich die bei der LMBV vorhandenen bzw. laufend flächendeckend erhobenen Daten genutzt: Lage des Grundwasserspiegels, Relief der Tagebauoberfläche, Liegendes der Kippe, geologische Daten der Vorfeldbohrungen. Das Modell kann als dynamisches Instrument zum Risikomanagement vor bzw. während der Sanierungsmaßnahmen genutzt werden. Mittels der Variation der prozesskontrollie-renden Parameter können die geotechnischen Auswirkungen verschiedener Sanierungsszenarien (z.B. Gestaltung der Tagebauoberfläche, Schüttung der Kippen, Grundwasseranstieg) auf die Stabilität der Kippen prognostiziert werden. / Geotechnical events (terrain deformation due to soil liquefaction) in lignite mining waste rock piles of the northern Lausitz area (opencast pits Schlabendorf and Seese), have been modeled as time series for the years 2009 – 2013 by using artificial neural networks. The model has clearly recognized the influences of various lithological and non-lithological controlled parameters on the occurrence of geotechnical events, and these have been quantified and weighted in terms of their importance. The model is able to predict the tem-poral evolution and the exact spatial location of the events occurring in the dumps as a function of changing groundwater levels and surface morphology. The model shows dynamically the emergence of new risk areas in hitherto seemingly stable areas. The correctness of the model was confirmed by means of various tests and its predictive success was demonstrated through forecasting of events for the years 2014 and 2015 and their comparison with the observed events of those years. The following main risk factors were identified: Important destabilizing factors are a monotonous lithology with the following composition: 31% fine sand, 34% medium sand, 31% coarse sand, 3% silt, <1% gravel, <1% lime, <1% clay, <1% coal, kf-values between 10-4 and 10-4.5 m/s, a surface to groundwater distance of 3.45 meters (median value), high gradients of non-lithological controlled parameters: waste dump surface, groundwater level, depth to groundwater and thickness of saturated dump. 2. Important stabilizing factors are a high heterogeneity of lithology (high gradients of the lithological controlled parameters: e.g. gravel content, sand content, clay content, carbon content), a low proportion of sand in the dump composition, high proportions of gravel, silt, clay, lime, or coal, a high depth to groundwater, low gradients of non-lithological controlled parameters: open pit surface, groundwater surface, depth to groundwater, thickness of saturated dump, strongly changing kf values between 10-7 and 10-2 m/s. The model can be used as a dynamic tool for risk management before and during the re-habilitation of lignite waste dumps, and for constructing stable waste dumps. By means of varying the model parameters (e.g. design of the dump surface, composition of dumped rocks, rising groundwater) the geotechnical effects of dump design and remediation scenarios can be predicted.

Expansive soils are a worldwide problem that poses several challenges for civil engineers. Such soils swell when given an access to water and shrink when they dry out. The most common and economical method for stabilizing these soils is using admixtures that prevent volume changes. In this study the effect of using rock powder and aggregate waste with lime in reducing the swelling potential is examined. The expansive soil used in this study is prepared in the laboratory by mixturing kaolinite and bentonite. Lime was added to the soil at 0 to 9 percent by weight. Aggregate waste and rock powder were added to the soil at 0 to 25 percent by weight. Grain size distribution, Atterberg limits and swell percent and rate of swell of the mixtures were determined. Specimens were cured for 7 and 28 days. This method of treatment caused a reduction in the swelling potential and the reduction was increased with increasing percent stabilizers.

Abstract The removal of overlying waste rock in open pit mines to dumps is conventionally undertaken by draglines or by trucks and shovels, or by a combination of these. Waste rock dumps are the largest remnant structures of open cut mining operations and can absorb a large proportion of the mine operating costs. If the dumps are not properly developed they can be excessively expensive and can become a major safety risk and environmental hazard. There are many examples worldwide where poor design and construction of waste rock dumps have resulted in failures causing considerable loss of life and widespread damage, or have resulted in erosion and seepage that have led to severe environmental pollution. The proper design and scheduling of waste rock dumps and haul routes can significantly reduce costs, minimise the possibility of failures, and avoid harming the environment. This Thesis is limited to the consideration of trucks and shovels for waste rock haulage in open cut mining operations. It describes the development and application of a waste rock dump scheduling model using the Operations Research technique of Mixed-Integer Linear Programming, implemented in the mathematical modelling language AMPL. The model focuses on minimising the haulage cost for each block of waste rock taken from the open pit and placed in the dump. Allowance is made for the selective placement of benign and reactive waste rock, based on an open pit block model that delineates benign and reactive waste rock. The formulation requires input data including the xyz-coordinates of the block model for the open pit, information on whether the waste rock blocks are benign or reactive, the proposed time scheduling of waste rock haulage from the open pit, unit haulage costs, and the geometry of the waste rock dump, including the delineation of the zones that are benign and those that are reactive. The model was successfully tested by using both simple test data and actual mine site data. The application of the model to a simple case confirmed that it produces results that meet the Objective Function in producing an optimal haulage time and cost, and meets the various Constraints imposed. This model for scheduling the removal of waste rock from open cut mining operations with trucks and shovels will require further research and testing and, because the results are generated in a numerical format, there will also be a need to convert them to a graphical format to facilitate their interpretation. Ultimately, it will have the potential to provide a relatively low-cost scheduling tool that meets operators’ economic, safety and environmental goals.

Abstract Industrial emissions and soil pollution caused by harmful substances attracted an increased public awareness in the 1970s. Ministry of the Environment contributed to the rapid development of environmental legislation. Development of Finnish environmental legislation has also been significantly affected by the membership of the EU has been in 1995. Finnish legislation is largely based on EU legislation, but in some cases it includes even stricter standards and limits than those applied on the EU level. Studies of contaminated soils in Finland began with mapping of landfills in the 1980s. The clearing and renovation project of contaminated soils named SAMASE started in 1988, and approximately 10,400 contaminated areas were surveyed. Currently, the total number of objects has already expanded to about 25,000. This thesis consists of five scientific publications related to contaminated sites. Its summary deals with environmental legislation, treatment methods for soils contaminated with oils and heavy metals, and risk assessment in general. The scientific publications focus on the utilization of two chemical methods, i.e. oil biodegradation of contaminated soil studied, especially by manometric respirometric BOD Oxitop method, and the study of railway ballast using five-step sequential extraction method. The results show that the biodegradability of oil is strongly dependent on the soil matrix and the studied oils (motor and light fuel oils), which are biodegradable well under suitable conditions. When a 6-month long biodegradation study of light fuel contamination in mineral-rich soil without soil conditioning was performed, the final biodegradation degree was surprisingly almost complete (> 90 %), in contrary to the general assumption. Thus, the inherent biodegradability is a cost-efficient and a recommended treatment method for oil contaminated soils, especially in sparsely populated areas. Research of the railway ballast showed that the multi-step sequential extraction will provide valuable information about the effects of environmental circumstances on metals bioavailability or solubility for the purposes of risk assessment. This information is necessary to understand the actual environmental risks of metals in different natural environments, thus contributing to the development of licensing procedure. The results of this thesis also show that licensing related to the restoration of contaminated soils r (authority and control procedures) must be simplified. The authorities should also have sufficient chemical knowledge, since after all, environmental problems are mainly of chemical nature. / Tiivistelmä Huoli ympäristöstä nosti 1970-luvun alussa erilaiset päästöt päivänvaloon, ja haitallisten aineiden aiheuttama maaperän pilaantuminen nousi esille 1980-luvulla. Suomeen vuonna 1983 perustettu ympäristöministeriö on edesauttanut nopeaa ympäristölainsäädännön kehittymistä. Kehitykseen on vaikuttanut merkittävästi myös EU-jäsenyytemme vuodesta 1995 lähtien ja jäsenyyden myötä implementoitu EY:n lainsäädäntö. Joiltain osin säädöksemme ovat jopa tiukempia kuin EU:n vastaavat säännökset. Suomessa pilaantuneiden maiden selvitystyö alkoi kaatopaikkojen kartoituksella 1980-luvulla. Valtioneuvoston v. 1988 antaman selonteon pohjalta käynnistyi saastuneiden maa-alueiden selvitys- ja kunnostusprojekti (SAMASE), jossa kartoitettiin noin 10 400 pilaantuneeksi epäiltyä tai todettua aluetta. Tätä työtä jatketaan edelleen viranomaisten tavanomaisen lupa- ja valvontatyön ohessa. Tällä hetkellä kohteiden kokonaismäärä on noin 25 000. Tämä pilaantuneisiin maihin (PIMA) liittyvä väitöskirjatutkimus koostuu yhteenveto-osasta, jossa käsitellään alan lainsäädäntöä, käsittelymenetelmiä ja riskinarviointia yleisesti sekä viidestä osajulkaisusta, jotka keskittyvät öljyllä pilaantuneiden maiden biohajoavuuteen manometrista respirometrista BOD Oxitop -menetelmää käyttäen ja kaivosteollisuuden sivukiven (raidesepeli) raskasmetallien analytiikkaan sekventiaalista uuttoa hyödyntäen. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että öljy biohajoaa maassa sopivissa olosuhteissa hyvin ja luontainen biohajoavuus on täten yksi käyttökelpoinen öljyllä pilaantuneiden maiden puhdistusmenetelmä. Raidesepelitutkimukset osoittivat, että monivaiheinen sekventiaalinen uutto tuo uutta arvokasta tietoa olosuhteiden vaikutuksista metallien biosaatavuudesta/liukoisuudesta niiden riskinarviointia varten. Tämä tieto on välttämätöntä, kun halutaan ymmärtää metallien todelliset ympäristövaikutukset erilaisissa luonnonolosuhteissa ja näin edistää osaltaan lupamenettelyn kehittämistä. Väitöskirjassa todetaan myös, että pilaantuneen maan kunnostuksiin liittyen viranomaisten lupa- ja valvontamenettelyä tulee yksinkertaistaa ja viranomaisilla tulisi olla riittävästi kemian tietämystä ja kemiallista ajattelua, ovathan ympäristöongelmat pääosin luonteeltaan kemiallisia.

Measuring soil moisture content (SMC) in mining waste rock is important for assessing and modelling hydrological processes which influence pollutant release. Here, an experimental setup containing mining waste rock is established to compare the performance of 4 Arduino capacitance moisture sensors to one single Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) sensor. Furthermore, the performance of these sensors is evaluated in both sieved and unsieved mining waste rock. Fitted calibration curves are provided for both the TDR- and Arduino-sensors individually and in combination. These calibration curves are evaluated using the RMSE and R 2 of each curve and compared between sensors and soil texture. It is concluded that using more capacitance sensors significantly improves the fit statistics of the calibration curves and that using at least 4 capacitance sensors can enhance calibration curve fitting. For both the TDR and capacitance sensors, the calibration curves in sieved soil provided the best fit, meaning that soil specific calibration of sensors is recommended. On a sensor individual basis, the temporal precision of the TDR sensor was superior to each individual capacitance sensor. Use of 4 or more Arduino capacitance sensors may especially be justified in circumstances where the spatial variability of SMC is addressed by executing a large number of measurements. Here, the feasibility of the Arduino sensor system means that the use of these low-cost sensors, despite their reduced temporal precision, can be upscaled at relatively small costs.