Pelletizing of peat soil amendment for reclamation of disturbed lands

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2026-2-169-175

Читать на русскоя языке A.V. Mikhailov, V.Yu. Piirainen, E.M. Bobrova
Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
Russian Mining Industry №2/ 2026 p. 169-175

Abstract: Reclamation of disturbed lands with the aim of their restoration and subsequent practical use after man-made impact requires managerial and engineering solutions capable of restoring their fertility. One of such solutions under consideration is the use of peat soil amendments introduced into the ground in pelletized form. This method proved itself in the agricultural sector, where mechanization of fertilizer application, their storage, and transportation are key issues determining the efficiency of agricultural production. Application of the pellets appears particularly promising on poor soils, in desertification control as deserts are advancing across the planet at an alarming rate which are a result of not only natural but also man-made impacts on the Earth's climate. The study demonstrates that application of pelletized soil amendment even on sandy soils provides good water supply to the plant root system. Furthermore, advanced mechanical strength and friability of the pellets confirm the feasibility of mechanized application of the soil amendment to various soil types. A comparative analysis of the results from vegetation tests on white mustard germination that compared application of peat soil amendment in loose and pelletized forms, showed a clear advantage of the latter. The data obtained in this study confirm the benefits of the pelletized form of the peat amendment for soil restoration on disturbed lands. This finding is of significant importance for further development of technologies to restore specific soil types in disturbed areas.

Keywords: land reclamation, disturbed lands, soil amendment, barren bedding, reclamation, pelletized peat materials

For citation: Mikhailov A.V., Piirainen V.Yu., Bobrova E.M. Pelletizing of peat soil amendment for reclamation of disturbed lands. Russian Mining Industry. 2026;(2):169–175. https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2026-2-169-175

Article info

Received: 09.01.2026

Revised: 09.02.2026

Accepted: 18.02.2026

Information about the authors

Aleksandr V. Mikhailov – Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0516-7737; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Viktor Yu. Piirainen – Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Department of Materials Science and Technology of Art Products, Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5767-3765; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Evgenia M. Bobrova – Postgraduate Student of the department of Materials Science and Technology of Art Products, Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5005-5565; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

References

1. Volohov E.M., Kozhukharova V.K., Britvin I.A., Savkov B.M., Zherlygina E.S. Assessment of impact of mining operations on surface infrastructure. Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin. 2023;(8):72–93. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25018/0236_1493_2023_8_0_72

2. Makeeva N.A., Neverova O.A. The review of methods of the accelerated recultivation of the lands broken by coal mining. Bulletin of KSAU. 2016;(8):77–86. (In Russ.) Available at: https://kgau.editorum.ru/ru/nauka/article/79448/view (accessed: 27.10.2025).

3. Raupov I., Rogachev M., Shevaldin E. Review of formation mechanisms, localization methods, and enhanced oil recovery technologies for residual oil in terrigenous reservoirs. Energies. 2025;18(21):5649. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18215649

4. Abramowicz A., Rahmonov O., Chybiorz R. Environmental management and landscape transformation on self-heating coalwaste dumps in the upper silesian coal basin. Land. 2021;10(1):23. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10010023

5. Pikon K. Recultivation of mining waste dumps – environmental aspects. In: 8th International Scientific Conference of Modern Management of Mine Producing, Geology and Environmental Protection, Albena, Bulgaria, June 16–20, 2008. Curran Associates, Inc.; 2008. Part 1, pp. 773–780.

6. Mikhailov A.V., Kazakov Yu.A., Kozachkov G.S. Specific features of a grinding module location in in-pit processing of peat raw materials. Russian Mining Industry. 2024;(5):94–100. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2024-5-94-100

7. Yusov D.S., Ivanova P.V., Ivanov S.L. Systematization of end effectors of deep milling machines for peat extraction. Russian Mining Industry. 2024;(3):85–89. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2024-3-85-89

8. Mikhailov A.V., Piirainen V.Yu., Bobrova E.M., Smirnov A.I. Analysis of the prospects to use peat-based soil conditioners for reclamation of disturbed lands. Russian Mining Industry. 2025;(2):124–130. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2025-2-124-130

9. Pashkevich M.A., Kulikova Yu.A. Monitoring and assessment of the negative impact of technogenic massives of the mineral and raw complex. Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin. 2023;(9-1):231–247. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25018/0236_1493_2023_91_0_231

10. Seredina B.P., Androhanov V.A., Alekseeva T.P., Sysoeva L.N., Burmistrova T.I., Trunova N.M. Ecological aspects of biological recultivation soil of Kuzbass technogenic ecosystem. Tomsk State University Journal of Biology. 2008;(2):61–72. (In Russ.) Available at: https://journals.tsu.ru/biology/&journal_page=archive&id=742&article_id=17195 (accessed: 27.10.2025).

11. Hosseinalizadeh M., Alinejad M., Behbahani A.M., Khormali F., Kariminejad N., Pourghasemi H.R. A review on the gully erosion and land degradation in Iran. In: Shit P., Pourghasemi H., Bhunia G. (eds) Gully Erosion Studies from India and Surrounding Regions. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Cham: Springer; 2020, pp. 393–403. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23243-6_26

12. Rahmonov O., Różkowski J., Klys G. The managing and restoring of degraded land in post-mining areas. Land. 2022;11(2):269. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020269

13. Litvinenko V.S., Dvoynikov M.V., Trushko V.L. Elaboration of a conceptual solution for the development of the Arctic shelf from seasonally flooded coastal areas. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology. 2022;32(1):113–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2021.09.010

14. Litvinenko V.S., Petrov E.I., Vasilevskaya D.V., Yakovenko A.V., Naumov I.A., Ratnikov M.A. Assessment of the role of the state in the management of mineral resources. Journal of Mining Institute. 2023;259:95–111. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31897/PMI.2022.100

15. Brovarova O.V., Brovarova D.A. Humic substances of peat. properties and biological activity. Chemistry of Plant Raw Material. 2023;(2):301–309. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.14258/jcprm.20230211727

16. Linkevich E.V. Peat organic matter and assessment of its bioavailability. International Agricultural Journal. 2023;(3):278–281. (In Russ.)

17. Efimenko G.G., Kovalev D.A. Control of agglomerate structure formationwith a view of its strengthening. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR. Metally. 1966;(6):3–10. (In Russ.)

18. Bambalov N., Clarke D., Tomson A., Sokolov G. The use of peat as a raw material for chemistry today and in the future. In: After Wise Use – The Future of Peatlands, Proceedings of the 13th International Peat Congress: Chemical, Physical and Biological Characteristics of Peat, Tullamore, Ireland, 8–13 June 2008, pp. 316–319. Available at: https://peatlands.org/document/theuse-of-peat-as-a-raw-material-for-chemisry-today-and-in-the-future/ (accessed: 02.02.2025).

19. Zhao Y., Chai L.J., Chen J., Wang X.M. Technology and application for ecological rehabilitation on self-maintaining vegetation restoration. In: Hu Z. (ed.). Land Reclamation in Ecological Fragile Areas: Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Land Reclamation and Ecological Restoration (LRER 2017), Beijing, PR China, October 20–23, 2017. London: CRC Press; 2017. Part 3, pp. 255–261.

20. Petrova T.A.1, Rudzish E. Types of soil improvers for reclamation of mining-disturbed lands. Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin. 2021;(4):100–112. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25018/0236_1493_2021_4_0_100

21. Schmilewski G. The role of peat in assuring the quality of growing media. Mires & Peat. 2008;3:1–8.

22. Barrett G.E., Alexander P.D., Robinson J.S., Bragg N.C. Achieving environmentally sustainable growing media for soilless plant cultivation systems – A review. Scientia Horticulturae. 2016;212:220–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2016.09.030

23. Kuznetsova L.M., Mihajlov A.V., Selennov V.G. Artificial soil grounds. Tomsk State Pedagogical University Bulletin. 2009;(3):145–150. (In Russ.) Available at: https://vestnik.tspu.ru/archive?year=2009&issue=3&article_id=1274&format=html (accessed: 27.10.2025).

24. Ermakov B.S., Ermakov S.B., Vologzhanina S.A., Khuznakhmetov R.M. Relationship between operating conditions and the emergence of nano- and ultradispersed grain boundary defects in weld joints. Tsvetnye Metally. 2023;(8):80–85. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17580/tsm.2023.08.13

25. Gholipour Zanjani N., Zarringhalam Moghaddam A., Dorosti S. Physical and chemical properties of coal briquettes from biomass-bituminous blends. Petroleum & Coal. 2014;56(2):188–195.

26. Xianmin M. China: the next huge peat and growing media market in the world. In: Proceedings of the 15th International PEAT Congress (IPC 2016), Kuching, Malaysia, 15–19 August 2016. Kuching: Curran Associates, Inc.; 2016, pp. 51–54. Available at: https://peatlands.org/assets/uploads/2019/06/ipc16p51-54a085meng.pdf (accessed: 12.10.2024).

27. Thomson A.E., Naumova G.V. Peat and products of its processing. Minsk: Belaruskaya Navuka; 2009. 328 p. (In Russ.)

28. Petrova T.A., Rudzisha E. Utilization of sewage sludge as an ameliorant for reclamation of technogenically disturbed lands. Journal of Mining Institute. 2021;251:767–776. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31897/PMI.2021.5.16

29. Utenkova T.G., Kremcheev E.A., Nagornov D.O., Ivanov S.L. Mechanical dewatering of sapropel in its small-scale mining technology. Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories. 2023;15(2):308–316. (In Russ.)

30. Khalifa A.A., Bazhin V.Y., Ustinova Y.V., Shalabi M.E. Study of the kinetics of the process of producing pellets from red mud in a hydrogen flow. Journal of Mining Institute. 2022;254:261–270. https://doi.org/10.31897/PMI.2022.18

31. Efimov V.N. (ed.) Peat in agriculture of the Non-Chernozem zone. Leningrad: Agropromizdat; Leningrad Branch; 1987. 302 p. (In Russ.)

32. Krupnov R.A., Bazin E.T., Popov M.V. Use of peat and peat deposits in the national economy. Moscow: Nedra; 1992. 232 p. (In Russ.)

33. Young I., Renault S., Markham J. Low levels organic amendments improve fertility and plant cover on non-acid generating gold mine tailings. Ecological Engineering. 2015;74:250–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.10.026