Sustainable long-term solutions to managing tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are integral for mines to operate in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. The long-term storage of subaqueous tailings can pose significant safety, environmental, and economic risks; therefore, alternative containment strategies for maintaining geochemical stability of reactive materials must be explored. In this study, the physical and geochemical stabilization of coal tailings using microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) was evaluated at a laboratory pilot scale. Three application techniques simulated commonly used agricultural approaches and equipment that could be deployed for field-scale treatment: spraying on treatment solutions with irrigation sprinklers, mixing tailings and treatment solutions with a rototiller, and distributing treatment solutions via shallow trenches using an excavator ripper. Test cells containing 1.0 × 1.0 × 0.5 m of tailings were treated with ureolytic bacteria (Sporosarcina pasteurii) and cementation solutions composed of urea and calcium chloride for 28 days. Penetrometer tests were performed following incubation to evaluate the extent of cementation. The spray-on application method showed the greatest strength improvement, with in an increase in surface strength of more than 50% for the 28-day testing period. The distribution of treatment solution using trenches was found to be less effective and resulted in greater variability in particle size distribution of treated tailings and would not be recommended for use in the field. The use of rototilling equipment provided a homogenous distribution of treatment solution; however, the disruption to the tailings material was less effective for facilitating effective cementation. Bacterial plate counts of soil samples indicated that S. pasteurii cultures remained viable in a tailings environment for 28 days at 18 °C and near-neutral pH. The treatment was also found to stabilize the pH of tailings porewater sampled over the 28-day incubation period, suggesting the potential for the treatment to provide short-term geochemical stability under unsaturated conditions.

管理尾矿储存设施 (TSF) 的可持续长期解决方案对于矿山以安全和对环境负责的方式运营是不可或缺的。水下尾矿的长期储存会带来重大的安全、环境和经济风险；因此，必须探索维持反应材料地球化学稳定性的替代控制策略。在这项研究中，在实验室中试规模上评估了使用微生物诱导的方解石沉淀 (MICP) 对煤尾矿的物理和地球化学稳定性。三种应用技术模拟了可部署用于田间处理的常用农业方法和设备：使用灌溉喷头喷洒处理溶液，使用旋耕机混合尾矿和处理溶液，使用挖掘机松土器通过浅沟分配处理溶液。含有 1.0 × 1.0 × 0.5 m 尾矿的试验细胞用尿素分解菌处理（Sporosarcina pasteur ii) 和由尿素和氯化钙组成的胶结溶液 28 天。孵育后进行针入度计测试以评估胶结程度。喷涂法显示出最大的强度改进，在 28 天的测试期间表面强度增加了 50% 以上。发现使用沟槽分布处理溶液效果较差，并导致处理后尾矿的粒度分布变化较大，因此不建议在现场使用。旋耕设备的使用提供了处理溶液的均匀分布；然而，对尾矿材料的破坏对于促进有效胶结的效果较差。土壤样品的细菌平板计数表明S. pasteurii培养物在 18 °C 和接近中性 pH 值的尾矿环境中保持存活 28 天。还发现该处理可以稳定在 28 天潜伏期内采样的尾矿孔隙水的 pH 值，表明该处理有可能在不饱和条件下提供短期地球化学稳定性。