This research develops and consolidates an environmental monitoring protocol for areas in the process of recovery and restoration at Vale Base Metals projects, including Salobo, Sossego, Igarapé Bahia-Aguas Claras, Alemão, and Onça Puma. Using remote sensing technologies with field assessments of vegetation and soil, the initiative promotes a multidisciplinary and functional approach to the environmental analysis of these areas.
The proposal recognizes the importance of mining for economic development, but also the environmental challenges associated with the activity, especially when carried out in an artisanal way. In this context, it seeks to compare the environmental impacts and characteristics of the waste generated by different forms of mining, both industrial and artisanal, with a focus on the presence and behavior of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil and the environment.
In addition, the project aims to generate a robust and integrated database, capable of guiding environmental management actions, supporting compliance with legal obligations and contributing to the construction of a positive legacy in the mined regions. The researchers also want to show that although industrial mining can generate potentially polluting waste, the use of environmental control and rehabilitation measures makes its impacts easier to manage than those of artisanal mining, which often does not adopt these practices.