A new risk assessment tool developed by researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) is demonstrating how the European project ROTATE is helping to advance sustainability and environmental protection in the extractive sector. The innovative index, named quarRISK®, enables rapid preliminary evaluations of potential environmental and health risks associated with surface mining activities, particularly in the extraction of aggregates and critical raw materials.
The tool was created by researchers from the ETSI de Minas y Energía – UPM to address one of the sector’s major challenges: the lack of simple and efficient screening methodologies adapted to mining and quarrying operations. Unlike more complex assessment systems, quarRISK® uses easily available data — such as the type and quantity of pollutants — together with simplified models capable of estimating pollutant dispersion and the vulnerability of both human and ecological receptors.
The model classifies exposure scenarios into four risk levels — low, moderate, high, and very high — allowing companies and public authorities to prioritize interventions, strengthen preventive measures, and identify situations requiring more detailed studies. To validate the methodology, the research team carried out 30 assessments in two European extractive sites. The results identified dust inhalation, particularly exposure to respirable crystalline silica, as the main occupational risk for workers, while impacts on surface waters emerged as one of the most relevant environmental concerns.
The development of quarRISK® forms part of the EU-funded ROTATE project, which aims to provide environmental solutions that improve sustainability, circularity, and efficiency across the mining and quarrying value chain. ROTATE also supports the sustainable supply of essential and critical raw materials for Europe while promoting socially responsible and environmentally conscious extractive activities.
According to the UPM research team, future work will focus on expanding the application of quarRISK® to additional sites and integrating the tool with more advanced risk assessment methodologies to further reinforce the sustainability and social acceptance of mining activities.
