Why don’t we often apply 16S rRNA gene-based microbiome analysis to mine tailings and wastes in AMD/ML studies?

Microbial activity usually has been ignored in acid mine drainage and metal leaching studies. Do not you think that they contribute to metal(loid) releases and to increase the rate of acid production during oxidation of sulfide minerals. Who measure properly the rate of acid production in mine wastes and tailings? Sometimes, we have observed that the release of metal(loid) is significantly occurred mine wastes and tailings even if they contain more acid-neutralizing minerals that acid producing minerals. Therefore, how do we explain this complex problem? Turkish mine waste regulations should be revised, inquiring the effect of microorganisms on the AMD/ML. The mobility of metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, Zn) can be influenced by metabolic activity, biogeochemical cycling and detoxification mechanisms of microorganisms. On the one side, soils enriched by microorganisms can be beneficial to remediate metal releases from mine wastes and tailings. The role of microorganisms as well as carbonate and silica minerals, formed in the mine wastes and tailings, should be determined in mitigation of AMD and metal release throughout mine waste and tailings dump after 16S rRNA gene-based microbiome analysis is performed on the mine waste and tailings (Helser and Cappuyns, 2022). Afterwards the conceptual model of waste management plan must be introduced.