Assessment of Environmental Hazards in a Mine Tailings Dam Using the Fuzzy SAM Method

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

2 Department of Mining, Faculty of Engineering, University of Birjand

10.22077/jgm.2026.10584.1067

Abstract

Wastes generated from the processing of metallic minerals contain significant amounts of heavy metals. Mine tailings dams, particularly those associated with metal mines, are major sources of pollution that pose potential risks to both the environment and human health. Therefore, it is essential to identify the potential hazards associated with mine tailings dams to mitigate or eliminate their environmental risks. This paper aims to assess and prioritize the environmental hazards of the tailings dam at the Qaleh Zari copper mine in Iran. To achieve this, fuzzy probabilities of hazards were calculated using the Similarity Aggregation Method (SAM) within a fuzzy environment. The results indicate that dust dispersion and air pollution are among the most probable environmental hazards posed by the mine tailings dam. Consequently, appropriate control measures must be implemented to prevent and manage dust dispersion from the tailings dam area. These results support the development of practical policies and control measures to protect the environment surrounding the mine tailings dam.

Keywords

Journal of Geomine
Volume 3, Issue 3
September 2025
Pages 182-187

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