This document summarizes the SMART GROUND project which aims to enhance availability and accessibility of data on secondary raw materials in the EU. It outlines the project's approach to characterizing extractive waste facilities, municipal solid waste landfills, and other sites to identify secondary raw materials and critical raw materials. The characterization involves preliminary research, geophysical and drone surveys, sampling schemes, sample analysis, and pilot site characterization activities. The goal is to understand the waste deposits and identify materials that could be exploited for secondary raw materials or recycled.

1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under Grant Agreement No 641988
SMART data collection and inteGRation platform to enhance availability
and accessibility of data and infOrmation in the EU territory on
SecoNDary Raw Materials
SMART GROUND approach and pilot sites
Giovanna Antonella Dino, Piergiorgio Rossetti, Giulio Biglia, Franco Ajmone Marsan,
Domenico Antonio De Luca, Manuela Lasagna, Luigi Perotti, Elena Belluso,
Silvana Capella (UNITO - Italy)
Heikki Särkkä (XAMK – Finland)
Walter Alberto, Mauro Palomba (IMAGEO – Italy)
Tuire Valjus - Timo Tarvainen - Mira Markovaara-Koivisto (GTK – Finland)
Csaba Vér (UP – Hungary)
Erno Garamvölgyi (BZN – Hungary)
Frederic Coulon, Stuart Wagland (CU – UK)

2. 1. INTRODUCTION
Supply of Raw Materials – particularly, Critical Raw Materials - is fundamental to
maintain and develop EU economy. Considering their increasing scarcity and
raising prices, recycling and recovery from urban, industrial and extractive waste
disposal sites is important.
The need for RM continued to expand, as did the number of RM utilised in
industry, involving also metals and elements not known or used in the past.
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3. WASTE AS A
RESOURCE
MSWEW
INTRODUCTION
WHERE EXPLOIT
RM/CRM?
ORE BODIES
LANDFILL AND
EXTRACTIVE WASTE
FACILITIES
MINING
INDUSTRY
LANDFILL MINING
CHARACTERIZATION PHASE IS
INTRODUCTORY FOR
RM/CRM/SRM EXPLOITATION
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4. 2www.smart-ground.eu
OBJECT TO CHARACTERIZE: EXTRACTIVE WASTE
Waste rock Tailings

5. OBJECT TO CHARACTERIZE: MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Landfill
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6. OBJECT TO CHARACTERIZE: MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Plastic waste Metal waste
wood
Paper and cardboard
Textiles
Inert fractionOrganic fraction Glass and ceramics
WEEE
Miscellaneous combustibles
(including rubber, foam)

7. LANDFILL CHARACTERIZATION
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EW facilities MSW landfills
Info about mining context:
 Geological context
 Typology of ore deposit
 Main minerals (RM)
 Associated minerals/elements
(CRM/SRM)
 Excavation methods
 Dressing activities
 Waste categories
Info about operation history:
 Landfill category
 Presence of different layers
 Presence of different
landfilling areas
 Waste categories (EWC code)
 Presence of treatment plant
Geotechnical stability Geotechnical stability
Presence of hazardous waste placed in
the landfill
Presence of hazardous waste placed
in the landfill
Degradation stage of the landfill, i.e.
is methane being generated
STEP 1: PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

8. STEP 2: DEPOSIT
INVESTIGATION
(AREA , VOLUMES,
SAMPLING
POINTS, ETC…)
2
LANDFILL CHARACTERIZATION
GEOPHYSICAL TESTS
LASER SCANNING
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
EXISTING DATABASE
MAPS OF THE AREA
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9. LANDFILL CHARACTERISATION: AIJALA TAILINGS POND IN FINLAND
 Includes tailings from Aijala, Metsämonttu and
Telkkälä
 Geophysical (and geochemical investigations)
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10. Magnetics and GEM 2
To find out the magnetic and conductive
parts of the tailings pond.
GEM2: the conductivity distibution
1-10 m downward.
Electrical Resistivity
Tomography (ERT)
Layers of different
conductivities from
surface to the
bottom of tailings.
Gravity
The bottom surface
of tailings pond
and bedrock
topography
Line map of geophysical methods in Aijala
LANDFILL CHARACTERISATION: AIJALA TAILINGS POND IN FINLAND
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11. Magnetic susceptibility indicates
the Ni-consisting areas (red)
Electrical conductivity (mS/m)
indicates the sulphide consisting
areas (red)
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: AIJALA TAILINGS POND IN FINLAND
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12. Gravity interpretation:
 Depth of the bottom of
tailings (red)
 Depth of bedrock
 Bounded to drilling data
ERT interpretation:
 Depth of layers of different
resistivity
 Depth of bedrock
3D interpretation of ERT lines
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: AIJALA TAILINGS POND IN FINLAND

13. CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: AIJALA TAILINGS POND IN FINLAND
Drone mapping by IMAGEO, Aijala in September 2016
Area: 20 ha
(500m x 400m)
Drone: DJI Phantom4 Camera: internal 12 Mpixel
Flight H: 70m Speed: 3 m/s
Time: 3 flights 25’

14. CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: AIJALA TAILINGS POND IN FINLAND
N° pictures: 430
Overlap long/trans.
80% / 60%
Ground Pixel: 3cm
CLASSIFIED
POINT CLOUD
3D MODEL
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC 3D
MODEL MESH

15. CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: AIJALA TAILINGS POND IN FINLAND
 Gravity method was used to determine the bedrock level and the
thickness of the tailings.
 Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) showed the conductive areas,
different layers and the bottom level of the tailings pond.
 GEM-2 was tested to get more detailed picture of the distribution of
conductive material, but in this case it was not effective enough. We
found ERT to be better method for conductive environment.
 Magnetic method helped to detect the different type of Ni-consisting
areas.
 UAV was used to obtain a detailed reconstruction of the topographic
surface of site
Summary:
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16. It is important to program field survey in order to sample the proper
number of representative samples.
Sampling activity using a net scheme: suitable when the
extension and the shape of the landfill are adequate to arrange a
net scheme.
Random sampling activity: when it is not possible to arrange e net
scheme on the landfill area or when specific areas have to be
investigated (historical info)
PROTOCOLS FOR SITE INVESTIGATION
STEP 3: SAMPLING SCHEME TO ADOPT
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17. The sampling activity is the basis to define the portion of a
batch or of a parcel, necessary to determine the specific
characteristics of a material (rock, waste, etc..).
Such characteristics can be geometrical, physical, chemical,
mineralogical, etc...and their determination is necessary to
investigate the attitudes of a material to be used in a
specific application.
STEP 4: REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES OF THE
DEPOSITS
PROTOCOLS FOR SITE INVESTIGATION
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18. www.smart-ground.eu
SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
CORE DRILLING: DESTRUCTION
DRILLING
CORE DRILLING: DRILLING WITH
CORE RECOVERY
EXCAVATING
SAMPLING ACTIVITY USING HAND
SHOVEL
PROTOCOLS FOR SITE INVESTIGATION

19. www.smart-ground.eu
PROTOCOL FOR SAMPLING PPREPARATION: EW FACILITIES
STEP 5: SAMPLING AND SAMPLE SORTING

20. PROTOCOL FOR SAMPLING PREPARATION: MSW LANDFILLS
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STEP 5: SAMPLING AND SAMPLE SORTING

21. www.smart-ground.eu
PROTOCOLS FOR LANDFILL CHARACTERIZATION: EW FACILITIES
STEP 6: SAMPLE CHARACTERIZATION
Test to use fines
for
environmental
rehabilitation
Quartering

22. www.smart-ground.eu
Physical analysis Geo Chemical Analysis;
Mineralogy and Petrology
Other Analysis
Coarse fraction
for
RM/CRM
exploitation
• Humidity
• Bulk density
• Size distribution
• Whole rock geochemistry
• Single phase analyses
• Petrographic and
mineralogical
characterization
Coarse fraction
for
SRM
exploitation (eg.
Aggregate)
• Humidity
• Bulk density
• Size distribution
• Test for aggregate (Flat index;
Shape index; Los Angeles;
Microdeval; Freeze-thaw test;
Fine particles content; Etc... )
• Petrographic
characterization
Fine fraction for
RM/CRM
exploitation
• Humidity
• Bulk density
• Size distribution
• Whole rock geochemistry
• Single phase analyses
• Petrographic and
mineralogical
characterization
Fine Fraction for
soil production
• Humidity
• Bulk density
• Size distribution
• Atterberg limits
• Chemical analysis
• Leaching test
• Fitotoxicity
PROTOCOLS FOR LANDFILL CHARACTERIZATION: EW FACILITIES

23. PROTOCOLS FOR LANDFILL CHARACTERIZATION: MSW LANDFILLS
Chemical analysis
(CRM content)
Collected waste
< 20 mm > 20 mm
Environmental
analysis
(leaching
tests)
Physical and chemical
analysis (SRM content,
e.g. metal, soil and
energy fraction)
STEP 6: SAMPLE CHARACTERIZATION
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24. www.smart-ground.eu
Fine fraction <20 mm
Total organic carbon (TOC)
Leaching test eluate analysis: As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb,
Se, Zn, Cl, F, SO4, DOC
CRM:
Elemental composition (Cu, Al, Sb, Li, Co, Cr, Mg)
REEs: Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb
Lu PGMs: Pt, Pd, Ru
Other: In, Ag, Au
Biogas potential
Metal fraction
Visual inspection
Share of non-metal parts attached to metals (degree of liberation)
Division to magnetic and non-magnetic metals (Cu+Al) and stainless
steel
Soil fraction Visual inspection (most likely mainly stones + bricks)
Energy fraction
Drying (to enable shredding and homogenisation for representative
determination of calorific values)
Visual inspection + weighing of the fines that detach from the
combustibles when dried
Elemental composition
Calorific value
PROTOCOLS FOR LANDFILL CHARACTERIZATION: MSW LANDFILLS

25. ITALY
• CDW treatment plant: CAVIT spa La Loggia (Torino)
• Feldspar production from granite dumps exploitation: Montorfano mining
area – Minerali Industriali
• Waste facilities of extractive industries which contains metals as Zn, Pb and
possible CRM as Ge, Cd, In, etc : Gorno mining district landfill
• Waste facilities of extractive industries which contains Ni, Cu and possible
CRM as PGE: Campello Monti mining district
FINLAND
• Waste facilities of extractive industries-Tailings from mining containing Cu, Zn,
S, Ag, Au: Aijala mining area
• MSW landfill: Metsäsairila landfill
• Private industry landfill; Waste from vehicle and aluminum industry:
Kuusakoski Oy landfill
HUNGARY
• Waste facilities of extractive industries containing siderite, barite, pyrite,
chalcopyrite: Rudabánya
• Waste facilities of extractive industries - tailings of the critical fluorite: Pátka
• MSW landfill: Debrecen landfill
CHARACTERIZING PILOT SITES
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STEP 7: PILOT SITES CHARACTERISATION

26. mine adits
dressing plant
Armando & Sabbadin, 1976
Orebodies
lens-shaped sulphide-rich
bodies within pyroxenites
Mining activity
1865 – 1945
Exploited for Ni
(1-2% to 0.5%)
5-6% Ni concentrate
(flotation)
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY
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27. Recognition of 2 types of waste
materials:
- waste rock
- operating residues
Selection of 8 waste deposits:
6 waste rock
2 operating residues
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY
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28. 1
1
8
operating residues
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY
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29. 3 waste rock
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY
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30. sampling protocol
manual sampling (hand shovel)
following a grid method.
Each sample (8-10 kg) was
collected in an area of 1.5 m2
after cleaning from organic
residues
For each sample point:
operator
date
UTM WGS84 coordinates
type of material
photos
notes
etc.
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY

31. • ICP-MS multielements analysis (general geochemical screening)
• ICP-OES for samples with a content of some metals (Ni and/or Cu)
exceeding the upper limit for the previous analytical package (5,000 and
10,000 ppm, respectively)
• Fire Assay - ICP-MS analysis of Au, Pt and Pd of samples strongly enriched
in Ni and Cu
• NiS Fire Assay – INAA analysis of Pt, Pd, Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Au and Re of
selected samples among those strongly enriched in Ni and Cu
Preliminary analyses on samples of the three size classes (>20 mm, 20-2 mm, <2 mm). As differences
were not significant, geochemical analyses were performed on the whole sample.
WHOLE-ROCK GEOCHEMISTRY
CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY

32. 1: very strong Fe, Ni, Cu,
Co, ±PGE enrichments
3, 4, 8: strong Fe,
Ni, Cu, Co (±PGE)
enrichments
2, 6: moderate Fe, Ni,
Cu, Co enrichments
2, 6: relatively low Fe,
Ni, Cu, Co values
“waste” material is significantly
enriched in Fe, Ni, Co and locally PGE
Metals enrichments
are not uniform:
4 composition
groups are
identified
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CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY

33. I
II
III IV
ppm
Ni >10,000
Cu >5,000
Co >600
Ni 2,000÷10,000
Cu 600÷1,500
Co 100÷300
Ni 700÷1,600
Cu 200÷600
Co 100÷200
Ni 100÷700
Cu 50÷200
Co 50÷100
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CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY

34. po
pn
po
pn
cpy
Fe as pyrrhotite Fe1-xS (not an ore
mineral)
pentlandite (Fe,Ni)9S8
chalcopyrite CuFeS2
pentlandite and chalcopyrite mostly
occur as granular, relatively coarse-
grained ore minerals:
suitable for mineral dressing
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CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: CAMPELLO MONTI, ITALY

35. CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: METSÄSAIRILA MSW LANDFILL, FINLAND
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36. CHARACTERISING PILOT SITES: METSÄSAIRILA MSW LANDFILL, FINLAND
Percentage distribution of sorted waste fractions from
sampling well drilled in closed landfill area
Percentage distribution of sorted waste fractions
from sampling well drilled in currently active landfill area
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37. www.smart-ground.eu
Data from landfill and
waste
characterization
Bibliographic
data
(paper, technical
report, statistics,
etc…)
Thematic maps based
on the characteristics of
the site and the
materials present in the
landfill
Best practices to evaluate
the screening methods to
get the resource effective
data collection from
landfills
Evaluation of SRM potentials,
similarities/differences between
the landfills and their potentials
Cartography-
satellite imagery
Reports &
Statistics
Data from EU
Open Database
INSPIRE & ISO
Compliant
SMART GROUND
DATABASE
User Friendly
Advanced Search
& Retrieval
STEP 8: FEEDING THE SG PLATFORM

38. SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS EXPLOITABLE FROM EW FACILITIES
STEP 9: SCHEME FOR SRM RECOVERY
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39. Collected waste
< 20 mm > 20 mm
PGMs
REEs
Metals
Refuse derived fuel (RDF)
Ferrous metallic product
Non-ferrous metallic product
SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS EXPLOITABLE FROM MSW LANDFILLS
STEP 9: SCHEME FOR SRM RECOVERY
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40. SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS EXPLOITABLE FROM MSW LANDFILLS
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Social impacts
(positive/negative)
associated to
landfill/waste recovery
Technologies for waste
recovery: costs
associated to investment,
trasport, treatment,
mainteance, etc…
SMART
GROUND
USER FRIENDLY
DATABASE
Best practices for the
evaluation of impacts
connected to landfill
and to waste recycling
(Different Scenarioes)
Waste streams – mass
balance / income
CBA/LCA evaluation
STEP 10: CRM/SRM RECOVERY SUSTAINABILITY
DECISION SUPPORT
TOOL

41. www.smart-ground.eu

42. Thank you for your attention!
Giovanna Antonella DINO
giovanna.dino@unito.it
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