Background
The scoping review has become an increasingly popular approach for synthesizing research evidence. It is a relatively new approach for which a universal study definition or definitive procedure has not been established. The purpose of this scoping review was to provide an overview of scoping reviews in the literature.

Methods
A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. A search was conducted in four bibliographic databases and the gray literature to identify scoping review studies. Review selection and characterization were performed by two independent reviewers using pretested forms.

Results
The search identified 344 scoping reviews published from 1999 to October 2012. The reviews varied in terms of purpose, methodology, and detail of reporting. Nearly three-quarter of reviews (74.1%) addressed a health topic. Study completion times varied from 2 weeks to 20 months, and 51% utilized a published methodological framework. Quality assessment of included studies was infrequently performed (22.38%).

Conclusions
Scoping reviews are a relatively new but increasingly common approach for mapping broad topics. Because of variability in their conduct, there is a need for their methodological standardization to ensure the utility and strength of evidence. © 2014 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jrsm.1123

A scoping review of scoping reviews: advancing the approach and enhancing the consistency

Coal mine methane: A review of capture and utilization practices with benefits to mining safety and to greenhouse gas reduction

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds that have accumulated in the natural environment mainly as a result of anthropogenic activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels. Interest has surrounded the occurrence and distribution of PAHs for many decadesdue to their potentially harmful effects to human health. This concern has promptedresearchers to address ways to detoxify/remove these organic compounds from the natural environment. Bioremediation is one approach that has been used to remediate contaminated land and waters, and promotes the natural attenuation of the contaminants using the in situ microbial community of the site. This review discusses the variety of fungi and bacteria that are capable of these transformations, describes the major aerobic and anaerobic breakdown pathways, and highlights some of the bioremediation technologies that are currently available.  2005 Society of Chemical Industry

/pdf/bioremediation-of-polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons-current-29ax6mo4wy.pdf

Bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: current knowledge and future directions

Pyrite oxidation: a state-of-the-art assessment of the reaction mechanism

Industrial development, energy production and mining have led to dramatically increased levels of environmental pollutants such as heavy metal ions, metal cyanides and nuclear waste. Current technologies for purifying contaminated waters are typically expensive and ion specific, and there is therefore a significant need for new approaches. Here, we report inexpensive hybrid membranes made from protein amyloid fibrils and activated porous carbon that can be used to remove heavy metal ions and radioactive waste from water. During filtration, the concentration of heavy metal ions drops by three to five orders of magnitude per passage and the process can be repeated numerous times. Notably, their efficiency remains unaltered when filtering several ions simultaneously. The performance of the membrane is enabled by the ability of the amyloids to selectively absorb heavy metal pollutants from solutions. We also show that our membranes can be used to recycle valuable heavy metal contaminants by thermally reducing ions trapped in saturated membranes, leading to the creation of elemental metal nanoparticles and films.

Amyloid–carbon hybrid membranes for universal water purification

Contaminative mine drainage waters have become one of the major hydrogeological and geochemical problems arising from mankind's intrusion into the geosphere. Mine drainage waters in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom are of three main types: (1) saline formation waters; (2) acidic, heavy-metal-containing, sulphate waters derived from pyrite oxidation, and (3) alkaline, hydrogen-sulphide-containing, heavy-metal-poor waters resulting from buffering reactions and/or sulphate reduction. Mine waters are not merely to be perceived as problems, they can be regarded as industrial or drinking water sources and have been used for sewage treatment, tanning and industrial metals extraction. Mine-water problems may be addressed by isolating the contaminant source, by suppressing the reactions releasing contaminants, or by active or passive water treatment. Innovative treatment techniques such as galvanic suppression, application of bactericides, neutralising or reducing agents (pulverised fly ash-based grouts, cattle manure, whey, brewers' yeast) require further research.

/pdf/mine-water-chemistry-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-3fofwiggwe.pdf

Mine-water chemistry: the good, the bad and the ugly

Abandoned mines drainage : impact assessment and mitigation of discharges from coal mines in the UK

This paper summarises the performance of minewater-treatment schemes which are operated under the Coal Authority's National Minewater Treatment Programme. Commonly-used design criteria and performance indicators are briefly discussed, and the performance of wetland systems which are operated by the Coal Authority is reviewed. Most schemes for which data are available remove more than 90% iron, and average area-adjusted iron-removal rates range from 1.5 to 5.5 g Fe/m2. d. These values, which are based on performance calculations, can be distorted by several factors, including the practice of maximising wetland areas to make best use of available land. Removal rates are limited by influent iron loadings, and area-adjusted iron-removal rates should be used with caution when assessing wetland performance. Sizing criteria for all types of treatment system might be refined if more detailed data become available.

The uk coal authority minewater-treatment scheme programme: performance of operational systems

The Economic Botany Collection (EBC) at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is the largest ethnobotanical collection in the UK, comprising more than 95,000 specimens including unprocessed plant parts, processed plant products and artefacts incorporating plant-derived materials. Over 1300 of those specimens contain hazardous substances naturally present in plant material which have potential to harm human health. There is a moral and legal requirement to assess and minimise the risks to staff, volunteers and visitors in the context of the collection and how it is used. This article presents the approach used to assess the risks associated with the collection, and how this approach was developed. Literature reviews, desk studies and practical surveys were used to collate data and to group specimens into hazard categories which were defined by common hazards such as physical form and condition rather than by taxonomy, detailed phytochemistry or toxicological data. Generic risk assessments undertaken for ...

S. B. Banks

Papers

Mine-water chemistry: the good, the bad and the ugly

Abandoned mines drainage : impact assessment and mitigation of discharges from coal mines in the UK

The uk coal authority minewater-treatment scheme programme: performance of operational systems

Managing risks from hazardous substances in the Economic Botany Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: a pragmatic approach