385 dam failures. These failures occur mainly due to: (i) human-caused factors (e.g., dam failures, inadequate tailings/water management), and (ii) natural causes (e.g., floods, earthquakes, mudslides, among others). The level of safety provides reassurance to communities and vulnerable ecosystems. This has meant that tailings transport and storage activities now represent an issue requiring proper and responsible environmental management. As a consequence of these disasters, the international community, institutions, and global groups, such as the ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metals), the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), developed a “Global Tailings Management Standard for the Mining Industry,” launched in August 2020. Its objective is to regulate operations throughout the entire life cycle of tailings storage facilities, including closure and the post-closure (perpetuity) phase, ensuring zero harm to people and the environment and zero tolerance for human fatalities. The ICMM advocates for the application of appropriate design and management standards, as well as best practices, to ensure the safety of tailings storage facilities, leveraging technological innovation and continuous improvement. This study aims to develop and validate the use of MABIOMET technology, which quantifies the bioaccessibility of heavy metals and metalloids using the UBM method, and to apply this technological approach to abandoned mine tailings in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. This technology is a preventative tool that supports risk management and enables cost-effective remediation strategies based on the risk to human health through appropriate site classification, especially in regions and countries where this parameter is not yet routinely implemented. It will allow for cost savings in sanitation and environmental health.
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