INCT ACQUA: MINERAL PRODUCTION, CONSERVATION OF WASTE RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY - CHALLENGES FOR INTEGRATION - 

Mineral wealth, abundant water resources and rich biodiversity – competitive advantages for the economic development of Minas Gerais State and Brazil – are the focus of the work of INCT-Acqua. By combining and integrating Mineral Resources, Water and Biodiversity, the Institute adopts a new paradigm where water is the common denominator of the initiatives focused on innovation, scientific development, social and sustainable regional development. The integration among these topics is still incipient in Brazil and abroad, and is one of the most original aspects of the present proposal.

The research activity of the INCT-Acqua encompasses two major areas. The first consists of adding value and environmental quality and performance to mineral-based products and processes. Within this context, the priority is the development of advanced technologies for the study and evaluation of ecotoxicity, the use of innovative methodologies using neotropical species as bioindicators, and the identification and characterization of water quality standards to be used as reference for future recovery studies at impacted areas. The broader objective is to contribute towards the minimization of the environmental impacts of the mineral industry, the selection of remediation techniques, and, particularly, the conservation and recovery of aquatic biodiversity.

The second research area consists of adding value and environmental performance to mineral-based products and processes. The mineral production processes should consider the sustainable use of all natural resources involved (e.g., water, energy and mineral resources), exploring the synergy with regional production chains therefore promoting the development of the local communities. The industrial processes are “redesigned” to minimize the generation of emissions, to transform waste into products, and to add more value to the products, thus providing the basis for better biodiversity conservation.

CHANGING THE PRESENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS A NEW DEVELOPMENT MODEL FOR MINING REGIONS

The Institute articulates actions with the public and industrial sectors as well as with the organized society. The generation and dissemination of scientific and technological fundaments seek to support the development of public policies and the increase of industrial competitiveness, with  main focus on capacity building.

Environmental education will be directed to communities in the mining areas. An ambitious plan is being carried out aimed at introducing  the concepts of INCT-Acqua in environmental education programs, enhancing and supporting particularly those already existing. Videos, printed material, interactive games and other educational tools will contribute towards the construction of a new ethical perspective of sustainability. The Water School, created by the International Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IIE)  with the support of SECTES (the State Secretariat for Science, Technology and Higher Education of the State of Minas), will be a partner  in building  of the Institute’s strategies in environmental education in mining areas.

FROM MOLECULAR LEVEL TO INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES: SCIENTIFIC FUNDAMENTALS AS DRIVERS OF NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PARADIGMS FOR THE MINERAL INDUSTRY

Advanced scientific tools are used to investigate chemical and biological systems in detail. The association of molecular modeling techniques (e.g., computational chemistry and spectroscopic techniques, including those which use synchrotron light radiation) allows the identification of the nature of chemical bonding  and distribution of contaminants in soils and other substrates. The understanding of the mechanisms that explain environmental impact will contribute to the development of functionalized, taylor -made materials for the removal of harmful species at traces and ultra-trace levels. The expansion of knowledge boundaries promotes a better and more accurate evaluation of environmental impacts, making it possible to develop environmentally sustainable extraction processes and to identify new ways of mitigating and remediating the impacted areas.

BIODIVERSITY IN MINING AREAS: NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

The inventories of biodiversity/richness of species, particularly of aquatic organisms, have not yet received the attention they deserve in view of their ecological, economic and social importance. The understanding of the dynamics of metal species in aquatic environments requires the knowledge of their interaction with the biological communities. INCT-Acqua seeks to identify microorganisms and plants (from the contaminated sites), which are capable of removing toxic elements, as well as to elucidate their mechanisms of tolerance. This initiative focuses on contributing towards the identification  of species to be used in  bioremediation methods. In addition to contributing towards the removal of polluting/contaminating elements, it is expected  that the identification of these species will allow the development of more sustainable alternatives for the remediation of impacted  areas.