The disposal of tailings in a safe and environmentally friendly manner has always been a challenging issue. The microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technique is used to stabilise tailings sands. MICP is an innovative soil stabilisation technology. However, its field application in tailings sands is limited due to the poor adaptability of non-native urease-producing bacteria (UPB) in different natural environments. In this study, the ultraviolet (UV) mutagenesis technology was used to improve the performance of indigenous UPB, sourced from a hot and humid area of China. Mechanical property tests and microscopic inspections were conducted to assess the feasibility and the effectiveness of the technology. The roles played by the UV-induced UPB in the processes of nucleation and crystal growth were revealed by scanning electron microscopy imaging. The impacts of elements contained in the tailings sands on the morphology of calcium carbonate crystals were studied with Raman spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The precipitation pattern of calcium carbonate and the strength enhancement mechanism of bio-cemented tailings were analysed in detail. The stabilisation method of tailings sands described in this paper provides a new cost-effective approach to mitigating the environmental issues and safety risks associated with the storage of tailings.

Thorium extraction techniques, such as solvent extraction from monazite and electrosorption techniques from water leach purification (WLP) of radioactive waste residues, are important for thorium recovery, particularly in Malaysia. Despite their importance, previous studies have largely overlooked critical issues like radioactive hazards, human health risks, and environmental impacts associated with advanced thorium extraction methods. This study addresses these gaps by quantifying the environmental impact associated with solvent extraction and electrosorption techniques using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to compare environmental indicators for thorium recovery from monazite ore and WLP residues. The LCA was conducted from cradle to gate, incorporating inventory data from the Ecoinvent database 3 and SimaPro software version 9, with inputs of raw material extraction, transportation, energy consumption, and chemical uses. Emissions into air, water, and soil were quantified across all processing phases. The LCA midpoint findings reveal that thorium disulfate in monazite processing is the key contributor to global warming, producing 45 kg CO2-eq, whereas transportation and electricity consumption also considerably affect emissions, contributing 25.07 kg CO2-eq and 26.17 kg CO2-eq, respectively. Comparative analysis of midpoint indicators showed that solvent extraction had a more significant environmental impact than electrosorption in the context of human carcinogenic toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, and marine ecotoxicity. The damaged assessment highlighted endpoint indicators that monazite processing had a higher impact than WLP on human health (0.0364-0.0016 DALY), ecosystems (0.0016-0.0005 species & sdot;yr), and resources (0.0012-0.0005 USD, 2013), primarily due to the use of chemicals and emissions. Our study shows that electrosorption from WLP demonstrates superior environmental sustainability compared with solvent extraction from monazite, positioning it a more viable and efficient approach for radioactive waste treatment.

The Chinese economy is one of the largest and most dynamic economies in the world. Over the past few decades, China has experienced rapid economic growth from agrarian to industrial powerhouse fueled by manufacturing, exports, and services. However, this rapid growth has also brought about challenges, including environmental issues like water contamination. The indulgence of cadmium metal in regular used water can cause serious health issues, including kidney damage and cancer. Many strategies have been implemented for treatment of water contamination. The main focus of this research is to introduce a novel methodology for treatment of cadmium contaminated water problem in China. This study seeks to demonstrate the multi-criteria group decision-making ability based on the outranking relations within the confines of a contemporary, well- organized and extremely flexible model of spherical fuzzy rough numbers. Spherical fuzzy rough numbers, amalgamation of rough numbers with traditional spherical fuzzy numbers, make the use of membership, nonmembership and neutral membership degrees along with the manipulation of the subjectivity and reliance on objective uncertainties. The combination of spherical fuzzy rough numbers with an outranking multi-criteria group decision making technique, Elimination and Choice Expressing Reality, integrates spherical fuzzy logic to handle uncertainty and imprecision in multi-criteria decision-making. This approach captures degrees of uncertainty and hesitancy with spherical fuzzy numbers, improving the handling of imprecise information. The working mechanism involves generation of outranking relations among alternatives by comparing predominant and subdominant options, calculating score degrees, concordance and discordance sets, and incorporating subjective spherical fuzzy rough criteria weights. Unlike traditional methods that use crisp or conventional fuzzy numbers, this technique provides a more reliable and flexible evaluation by integrating rough set theory for better handling of imprecision and uncertainty. Finally, an outranking graph is drawn that points from the supreme option to inferior one. The legitimacy of the proposed technique is, then, testified by making its comparison with other existing techniques.

The Karabakh region, located in the eastern and southeastern ridges of the Lesser Caucasus in Azerbaijan, has a rich historical and geographical significance. However, following the collapse of the USSR, Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan, leading to decades of illegal military control by Armenia, fundamentally contradicting international law and Azerbaijan's official borders. This occupation severely impacted the region's natural and economic structures, weakening its economic infrastructure and depleting natural resources. This research paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the environmental degradation occurred in Karabakh and the surrounding districts during nearly three decades of occupation. The study focuses on various natural components, including water sources, soil, subsoil resources, mineral resources, and biodiversity, with a specific emphasis on the innovative Smart Village Aghaly project in Zangilan. The primary objective of this article is to underscore the disruption of natural complexes in the liberated regions of Azerbaijan, the restoration of ecological balance, and restoring of harmonious relationships between nature and society. The research highlights the complexity of interactions between humanity and the environment in the context of regenerating landscapes and natural monuments damaged by prolonged military aggression. The findings reveal extensive ecological damage, including pollution of water resources, destruction of biodiversity, plundering subsoil reserves, and degradation of soil assets. The paper emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive restoration efforts and strategic interventions to address these challenges. By integrating ecological and geographical analysis, statistical data, field and expedition reports, and satellite imagery, this study provides a detailed assessment of the environmental impact on Karabakh. The research underscores the importance of international cooperation and adherence to environmental protection conventions to prevent future ecological damage and ensure sustainable management of natural resources.