## 1 Introduction  
China, a country rich in mineral resources, has a significant number of small- and medium-sized mines (SM mines) which are characterized by low annual ore production and inefficient equipment and mining technology [1, 2]. The slow development of the mining industry and mining equipment in China has led to a generally low utilization rate of resources. Furthermore, SM mines in China have been responsible for numerous safety accidents and environmental damage during the ore mining processes [3].  
Adding to these challenges, most of the ones produced in China from SM mines are of low grade and require expensive beneficiation and smelting processes to recover useful components [4, 5]. This is especially true for various metallic mineral ores, where the difficulty and cost of beneficiation and smelting are significantly increased. Given these challenges, SM mines in China need to seek changes to their current development practices.  
In recent years, SM mines in China have received widespread attention, and many researchers have worked to improve resource utilization and ecological conservation for these mine [6]. Based on the Google Scholar database ([[https://scholar.google.com](https://scholar.google.com)]([https://scholar.google.com](https://scholar.google.com)) (accessed on 4 November 2022)), using \"small-sized mines in China\", \"medium-sizedmines in China\" and \"small and medium-sized mines in China\" as keywords, the number of literature (results) related to mine dust pollution for each five-year period from 1995 to 2020 was found, as shown in Figure 1. The number of related literature (results) in the last 20 years clearly has an upward trend, showing that the transformation and upgrading of small- and medium-sized mines in China are receiving increasing attention.  
The research on small- and medium-sized mines has extensive applications and research value abroad, especially for developing countries with limited resources and backward economic conditions. It has a certain reference significance in the mining and management of small- and medium-sized mines. In foreign countries, some famous mining academic institutions, such as the School of Mining at Laurentian University in Canada, the Federal Institute of Science and Technology in Australia, and the School of Mining at Stirling University in the United Kingdom, have conducted research on small- and medium-sized mines multiple times, covering various aspects such as environmental governance, safety production, cost control, and mineral resource assessment. In addition, in developed countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan, and France, there are also corresponding research institutions and scholars studying the mining problems of small- and medium-sized mines, exploring more environmentally friendly, efficient, and sustainable mining methods.  
Figure 1: Changes in the number of literature related to “Small-sized mines in China”, “Medium-sized mines in China” and “Small and medium-sized mines in China” from 1995 to 2020.  
Therefore, this review article mainly aims to introduce the current status and prospects for the application of backfill mining methods in SM mines in China. In the second section, it provides an overview of the current situation of SM mines in China, including the mining technology, extraction equipment, and emission methods commonly used. In the third section, it highlights the challenges faced by SM mines, such as safety hazards and environmental damage. In the fourth section, it discusses the potential for the application of backfill mining methods in SM mines in China, and how this approach could help address the challenges faced by these mines. Overall, this review article serves as a guide to begin a conversation and encourage experts and scholars to engage in research in this field.