All Outputs (88)

Spatial and temporal (annual and decadal) trends of metal(loid) concentrations and loads in an acid mine drainage-affected river (2025)
Journal Article
Jennings, E., Onnis, P., Crane, R., Comber, S. D. W., Byrne, P., Riley, A. L., Mayes, W. M., Jarvis, A. P., & Hudson-Edwards, K. A. (2025). Spatial and temporal (annual and decadal) trends of metal(loid) concentrations and loads in an acid mine drainage-affected river. Science of the Total Environment, 964, Article 178496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178496

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a worldwide problem that degrades river systems and is difficult and expensive to remediate. To protect affected catchments, it is vital to understand the behaviour of AMD-related metal(loid) contaminants as a function of... Read More about Spatial and temporal (annual and decadal) trends of metal(loid) concentrations and loads in an acid mine drainage-affected river.

Conservation priorities for development: survey of UK public's views on brownfield sites and biodiversity (2024)
Journal Article
Macgregor, C., Deutz, P., Bunting, J., & Mayes, W. (2024). Conservation priorities for development: survey of UK public's views on brownfield sites and biodiversity. People, Place and Policy, 18(3), 135-163. https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.2024.4947649325

Policies prioritising the repurposing of abandoned land ('brownfield sites'), in order to spare undeveloped sites, are widely perceived to limit damage to biodiversity. However, brownfield sites can be of significant ecological value, providing scarc... Read More about Conservation priorities for development: survey of UK public's views on brownfield sites and biodiversity.

Long-term coastal dynamics: The evolution of a mixed sediment mega-nourishment consisting of colliery spoil (2024)
Journal Article
Pitman, S., Pitman, S. J., Burke, I., Burke, I. T., Jay, H., Cooper, N., Mayes, W. M., Jarvis, A., & Jarvis, A. P. (2024). Long-term coastal dynamics: The evolution of a mixed sediment mega-nourishment consisting of colliery spoil. Journal of environmental management, 371, Article 123106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123106

Mega-nourishments, where large volumes of sediment are deposited on coastlines, are increasingly employed to manage shoreline erosion, yet our understanding of their long-term behaviour is limited by the fact that most current schemes are less than 1... Read More about Long-term coastal dynamics: The evolution of a mixed sediment mega-nourishment consisting of colliery spoil.

Carbon dioxide removal could result in the use of lower-grade iron ore in a decarbonized net-negative emission steel industry (2024)
Journal Article
Renforth, P., Campbell, J., Foteinis, S., Cosgun, E., Young, J., Strunge, T., Riley, A. L., Mayes, W. M., & van der Spek, M. W. (2024). Carbon dioxide removal could result in the use of lower-grade iron ore in a decarbonized net-negative emission steel industry. Journal of cleaner production, 468, Article 142987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142987

Reducing the emissions from steel production is essential in meeting climate targets while maintaining economic prosperity. Here we show that applying deep emissions mitigation to the steel industry together with the reaction of by-product slag with... Read More about Carbon dioxide removal could result in the use of lower-grade iron ore in a decarbonized net-negative emission steel industry.

PFAS River Export Analysis Highlights the Urgent Need for Catchment-Scale Mass Loading Data (2024)
Journal Article
Byrne, P., Mayes, W. M., James, A. L., Comber, S., Biles, E., Riley, A. L., & Runkel, R. L. (2024). PFAS River Export Analysis Highlights the Urgent Need for Catchment-Scale Mass Loading Data. Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 11(3), 266–272. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00017

Source apportionment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) requires an understanding of the mass loading of these compounds in river basins. However, there is a lack of temporally variable and catchment-scale mass loading data, meaning identi... Read More about PFAS River Export Analysis Highlights the Urgent Need for Catchment-Scale Mass Loading Data.

Environmental behaviour of iron and steel slags in coastal settings (2024)
Journal Article
Riley, A. L., Cameron, J., Burke, I. T., Onnis, P., Macdonald, J. M., Gandy, C. J., Crane, R. A., Byrne, P., Comber, S., Jarvis, A. P., Hudson-Edwards, K. A., & Mayes, W. M. (2024). Environmental behaviour of iron and steel slags in coastal settings. Environmental science and pollution research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33897-4

Iron and steel slags have a long history of both disposal and beneficial use in the coastal zone. Despite the large volumes of slag deposited, comprehensive assessments of potential risks associated with metal(loid) leaching from iron and steel by-pr... Read More about Environmental behaviour of iron and steel slags in coastal settings.

The Contribution of Major Historical Orefields to Coastal Trace Metal(loid) Fluxes in North-East England (2023)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Riley, A. L., Onnis, P., Gandy, C. J., Kanu, C. V., Umeobika, C. V., Cameron, J., Burke, I. T., Hudson-Edwards, K. A., Jarvis, A. P., & Mayes, W. M. (2023, July). The Contribution of Major Historical Orefields to Coastal Trace Metal(loid) Fluxes in North-East England. Presented at IMWA 2023 – ”Y Dyfodol | The Future”, Newport, Wales

Mine waters and tailings are key inputs to riverine metal(loid) transport to the coast. However, coastal areas also face local contaminant pressures, e.g. active industries and abandoned landfill sites. Annual riverine metal(loid) flux data were asse... Read More about The Contribution of Major Historical Orefields to Coastal Trace Metal(loid) Fluxes in North-East England.

Ikaite formation in streams affected by steel waste leachate: First report and potential impact on contaminant dynamics (2023)
Journal Article
Bastianini, L., Rogerson, M., Brasier, A., Prior, T. J., Hardman, K., Dempsey, E., Bird, A., & Mayes, W. M. (2024). Ikaite formation in streams affected by steel waste leachate: First report and potential impact on contaminant dynamics. Chemical Geology, 644, Article 121842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121842

Highly alkaline (pH 9–12) waters can arise from a range of globally significant and environmentally impactful industrial processes such as lime, steel and cement production, alumina refining and energy generation (e.g. combustion ashes). Such residue... Read More about Ikaite formation in streams affected by steel waste leachate: First report and potential impact on contaminant dynamics.

Antimony and arsenic behaviour in lead/zinc mine tailings during storage under vegetation cover (2023)
Journal Article
Burke, I. T., Courtney, R., & Mayes, W. M. (2023). Antimony and arsenic behaviour in lead/zinc mine tailings during storage under vegetation cover. Applied geochemistry : journal of the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, 158, Article 105806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2023.105806

The high-volume, fine grained tailings produced from Pb/Zn ore processing need to be carefully managed. Metalloid elements, As and Sb, are present in tailings at ∼800 and ∼80 mg kg−1 respectively, and in neutral pH leachates at 5–50 μg L−1. Despite t... Read More about Antimony and arsenic behaviour in lead/zinc mine tailings during storage under vegetation cover.

Measurements In Geochemical Carbon Dioxide Removal 2023 1st Edition (2023)
Report
Campbell, J. S., Bastianini, L., Buckman, J., Bullock, L., Foteinis, S., Furey, V., Hamilton, J., Harrington, K., Hawrot, O. K., Holdship, P., Knapp, W. J., Maesano, C. N., Mayes, W. M., Pogge von Strandmann, P. A., Reershemius, T., Margaret Rosair, G., Sturgeon, F., Turvey, C., Wilson, S., & Renforth, P. (2023). Measurements In Geochemical Carbon Dioxide Removal 2023 1st Edition. Heriot Watt University: Heriot Watt University

Geochemical carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere using alkaline materials that are rich in calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Alkaline materials include natural rocks such as basalt, indus... Read More about Measurements In Geochemical Carbon Dioxide Removal 2023 1st Edition.

Quantifying CO2 Removal at Enhanced Weathering Sites: a Multiproxy Approach (2023)
Journal Article
Knapp, W. J., Stevenson, E. I., Renforth, P., Ascough, P. L., Knight, A. C., Bridgestock, L., Bickle, M. J., Lin, Y., Riley, A. L., Mayes, W. M., & Tipper, E. T. (2023). Quantifying CO2 Removal at Enhanced Weathering Sites: a Multiproxy Approach. Environmental Science and Technology, 57(26), 9854-9864. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c03757

Enhanced weathering is a carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation strategy that promises large scale atmospheric CO2 removal. The main challenge associated with enhanced weathering is monitoring, reporting, and verifying (MRV) the amount of carbon removed as... Read More about Quantifying CO2 Removal at Enhanced Weathering Sites: a Multiproxy Approach.

Mixtures of sediment chemical contaminants at freshwater sampling sites across Europe with different contaminant burdens (2023)
Journal Article
Richardson, S., Mayes, W. M., Faetsch, S., Hetjens, H., Teuchies, J., Walker, P., Heitmann, K., Welham, K., Moore, D., Bervoets, L., Kay, P., Duffus, W., Smith, N., De Cooman, W., Elst, R., Ryken, E., Rotchell, J. M., & Heise, S. (2023). Mixtures of sediment chemical contaminants at freshwater sampling sites across Europe with different contaminant burdens. Science of the Total Environment, 891, Article 164280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164280

Extended chemical analyses of fluvial sediments were undertaken to establish the key pollutant pressures and mixtures present across nine European Union inland waterways. A wide range of chemical components and physical parameters were investigated i... Read More about Mixtures of sediment chemical contaminants at freshwater sampling sites across Europe with different contaminant burdens.

Pollutant accumulation in road mitigation tunnels for amphibians: A multisite comparison on an ignored but important issue (2023)
Journal Article
White, K. J., Mayes, W., & Petrovan, S. O. (2023). Pollutant accumulation in road mitigation tunnels for amphibians: A multisite comparison on an ignored but important issue. Frontiers in ecology and evolution, 11, Article 1133253. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1133253

Underpasses or road tunnels are increasingly installed to reconnect habitats and ensure safe wildlife passage, thus preventing habitat fragmentation caused by roads and mortality from collisions with vehicles. In the UK, such underpasses are regularl... Read More about Pollutant accumulation in road mitigation tunnels for amphibians: A multisite comparison on an ignored but important issue.

Circular economy landfills for temporary storage and treatment of mineral-rich wastes (2023)
Journal Article
Sapsford, D. J., Stewart, D. I., Sinnett, D. E., Burke, I. T., Cleall, P. J., Harbottle, M. J., Mayes, W., Owen, N. E., Sardo, A. M., & Weightman, A. (2023). Circular economy landfills for temporary storage and treatment of mineral-rich wastes. Proceedings of the ICE - Waste and Resource Management, 176(2), 77-93. https://doi.org/10.1680/jwarm.22.00008

Many countries face serious strategic challenges with the future supply of both aggregates and critical elements. Yet, at the same time, they must sustainably manage continued multimillion tonne annual arisings of mineral-dominated wastes from mining... Read More about Circular economy landfills for temporary storage and treatment of mineral-rich wastes.

Prioritised Coastal Legacy Waste Dataset (England and Wales) (2022)
Data
Riley, A., Amezaga, J., Burke, I., Byrne, P., Cooper, N., Crane, R., Comber, S., Gandy, C., Hudson-Edwards, K., Jennings, E., Lewis, E., Lofts, S., MacDonald, J., Malcolm, H., Mayes, W., Onnis, P., Olszewska, J., Spears, B., & Jarvis, A. (2022). Prioritised Coastal Legacy Waste Dataset (England and Wales). [Data]

Supporting data for:
Riley et al., 2022. Incorporating conceptual site models into national-scale environmental risk assessments for legacy waste in the coastal zone. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10:1045482.

CSV dataset of legacy landfill... Read More about Prioritised Coastal Legacy Waste Dataset (England and Wales).

Incorporating conceptual site models into national-scale environmental risk assessments for legacy waste in the coastal zone (2022)
Journal Article
Riley, A. L., Amezaga, J., Burke, I. T., Burke, I., Byrne, P., Cooper, N., Crane, R., Crane, R. A., Comber, S., Comber, S. D., Gandy, C., Gandy, C. J., Hudson-Edwards, K., Hudson-Edwards, K. A., Jennings, E., Lewis, E., Lofts, S., MacDonald, J., MacDonald, J. M., Malcolm, H., …Jarvis, A. (2022). Incorporating conceptual site models into national-scale environmental risk assessments for legacy waste in the coastal zone. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, Article 1045482. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1045482

Solid wastes deposited in the coastal zone that date from an era of lax environmental regulations continue to pose significant challenges for regulators and coastal managers worldwide. The increasing risk of contaminant release from these legacy disp... Read More about Incorporating conceptual site models into national-scale environmental risk assessments for legacy waste in the coastal zone.

Methanogenesis from Mineral Carbonates, a Potential Indicator for Life on Mars (2022)
Journal Article
Wormald, R. M., Hopwood, J., Humphreys, P. N., Mayes, W., Gomes, H. I., & Rout, S. P. (2022). Methanogenesis from Mineral Carbonates, a Potential Indicator for Life on Mars. Geosciences, 12(3), Article 138. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12030138

Priorities for the exploration of Mars involve the identification and observation of biosignatures that indicate the existence of life on the planet. The atmosphere and composition of the sediments on Mars suggest suitability for anaerobic chemolitho... Read More about Methanogenesis from Mineral Carbonates, a Potential Indicator for Life on Mars.

What are the different styles of calcite precipitation within a hyperalkaline leachate? A sedimentological Anthropocene case study (2021)
Journal Article
Bastianini, L., Rogerson, M., Mercedes-Martín, R., Prior, T. J., & Mayes, W. M. (in press). What are the different styles of calcite precipitation within a hyperalkaline leachate? A sedimentological Anthropocene case study. The Depositional Record, https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.168

This study aims to compare the fabrics of anthropogenic carbonates downstream of lime and steel disposal sites with models of carbonate precipitation from natural systems to elucidate potential drivers, precipitation mechanisms, morphological similar... Read More about What are the different styles of calcite precipitation within a hyperalkaline leachate? A sedimentological Anthropocene case study.

From linear economy legacies to circular economy resources: Maximising the multifaceted values of legacy mineral wastes (2021)
Book Chapter
Mayes, W. M., Hull, S. L., & Gomes, H. I. (2021). From linear economy legacies to circular economy resources: Maximising the multifaceted values of legacy mineral wastes. In A. Stefanakis, & I. Nikolaou (Eds.), Circular Economy and Sustainability Volume 1: Management and Policy (409-431). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819817-9.00009-0

Extractive industries represent the first stage of our global cycles of production and consumption. Environmental legacies associated with mining and mineral processing to all environmental compartments (air, soil, water) are extensive, long-lived, a... Read More about From linear economy legacies to circular economy resources: Maximising the multifaceted values of legacy mineral wastes.

Brownfield sites promote biodiversity at a landscape scale (2021)
Journal Article
Macgregor, C. J., Bunting, M. J., Deutz, P., Bourn, N. A., Roy, D. B., & Mayes, W. M. (2022). Brownfield sites promote biodiversity at a landscape scale. Science of the Total Environment, 804, Article 150162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150162

Repurposing of brownfield sites is often promoted, because it is perceived that protecting the “green belt” limits damage to biodiversity; yet brownfield sites provide scarce habitats with limited disturbance, so conversely are also perceived to be e... Read More about Brownfield sites promote biodiversity at a landscape scale.