Acid mine drainage overview acid rock drainage ard is produced by the oxidation of sulfide minerals, chiefly iron pyrite or iron disulfide fes2. Acid mine drainage amd is a typical source of environmental pollution ascribing to its characteristics of high acidity and heavy metal content. The chemistry of oxidation of pyrites, the production of. Fact sheet acid mine drainage the problem the formation of acid mine drainage and the contaminants associated with it have been described as the largest environmental problem facing the u. Thus, this study applied some simple testing methods to the. This may be the biggest challenge of all the unknown. First, the chapter provides a general description of the physical and chemical factors that control the behavior of metals that have been associated with acid rock drainage. Acid mine drainage amd forms when sulfide minerals, particularly pyrite and marcasite, have been exposed to oxidizing conditions during mining and other excavation. Featuring contributions from leading experts in science and engineering, this book explores the complex biogeochemistry of acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. Publication date 1982 topics acid mine drainage publisher washington, d. Acid mine drainage amd has been a detrimental byproduct of coal mining for many years. You can see from equation 1 that in order for these reactions to happen, the pyrite must be exposed to both air and mining is one of south africas most important industries, but it comes with a cost.
This is a natural chemical reaction which can proceed. Apr 05, 2018 acid mine drainage is known as one of the most severe threats to water brought about by mining. The acid mine drainage may also contain high amounts of co2 which forms carbonic acid and further depresses the ph. The rates of chemical reactions equations 2, 3, and. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days. There is actually a complex series of reactions and side reactions, but the net equation is often written according to equation 1. Years of high flow resulted in degraded biological status when acid mine drainage capture was incomplete and metal loading had increased with runoff. Acid mine drainage mines built as early as the 1800s were developed in a manner which utilized gravity drainage, to avoid excessive water accumulation in the mines as a result, water polluted by acid, iron, sulfur and aluminum drained away from the mines and into streams results of acid mine drainage. If constructed correctly, olcs should be maintenance free and provide amd. Western pennsylvania was once a great coal mining region. Acid mine drainage prediction compares acid rock drainage factors of waste rock piles and tailings impoundments. A mine s drainage substances such as acid can destroy streams, rivers and aquatic life. This report aims to identify abandoned mine sites that utilize innovative technologies to treat mine drainage or contaminated soils and to put that information into a database.
Acid mine drainage amd is produced when sulfidebearing material is exposed to oxygen and water. This results primarily from the oxidative breakdown of transition metal sulfides, especially pyrite fes 2. Acid mine drainage article about acid mine drainage by the. Techniques to correct and prevent acid mine drainage. Although hightech analytical methods have been highlighted for mineral characterization and quantification, simple testing methods are still practical ways to perform in a field laboratory in mines. The water then transports the contaminated mine materials to nearby rivers before eventually depositing the materials downstream. Yellow creek 2b bioreactor, water chemistry pg 11 table 3.
At present, acid mine drainage continues to pose a potential problem in some areas, despite improved prediction and prevention techniques. It provides a background to amd and its impactsfrom a social science perspective. Trace element geochemistry should not be limited to acid rock generation sites but also be applied to any project that involves creating, removal. Acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. Nov, 2019 in a nutshell, acid mine drainage is a form of water pollution that happens when rain, runoff, or streams come in contact with rock that is rich in sulfur. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering process but is exacerbated by largescale earth disturbances construction sites, subdivisions. This lesson covers the basic chemistry behind amd and the remediation processes, as. First, the very low ph of coal mine runoff zero to 2. Acid mine drainage amd can result when the mining process exposes mine wastes, tailings, or workings which contain quantities of reactive sulphides. We also acknowledge previous national science foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057. Pdf acid mine drainage amd occurs after mining exposes metal sulfides to oxidizing. The geochemistry of acid mine drainage request pdf. The production of amd usually but not exclusively occurs in iron sulfideaggregated rocks.
Groundwater monitoring wells from active mines and tailings piles showed ph interval and chemical concentrations similar to those of mine drainage. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering process but is exacerbated by largescale earth disturbances construction sites. The use of measured and calculated acidity values to improve. Skousen and others published acid mine drainage control and treatment find, read and cite all the. Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage amd, or acid rock drainage ard is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. When mine and mine waste drainage have neutral ph, with a high concentration of dissolved metals, they are called neutral or alkaline mine drainage lottermoser, 2010. Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining. The primary cause of environmental damage from abandoned hardrock mine sites is acid mine drainage, which carries dissolved heavy metals and arsenic into surface water, soil and groundwater.
In a nutshell, acid mine drainage is a form of water pollution that happens when rain, runoff, or streams come in contact with rock that is rich in sulfur. Pdf acid mine drainage formation, control and treatment. Acid mine drainage amd from mining wastes is one of the current environmental problems in the field of mining. The chemistry of amd is perfectly suited to concentrate its damage on streams and waterways. This book explores the fundamental chemistry of active and passive treatment of amd with coal fa and the detailed geochemistry involved in the. Acid mine drainage mine drainage rock phosphate silica coating pyrite oxidation. The addition of various acidneutralizing and metalprecipitating chemical agents into amd water is a common practice to meet the effluent. The microbiology of acid mine drainage by jim taylor, p. Guideline document for monitoring acid mine drainage, october. Article views are the countercompliant sum of full text article downloads since november 2008 both pdf and html across all institutions and individuals. Fundamentals of mine drainage formation and chemistry kathleen s. Controlling microstructural evolution in pechini gels through the interplay between precursor complexation, stepgrowth polymerization, and template confinement. Most discussions on acid mine drainage refer to the physical process of oxidation while the role of microorganisms is left unnoticed.
Acid mine drainage amd is currently the main pollutant of surface water in the midatlantic region. Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage amd, or acid rock drainage ard is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering process but is exacerbated by largescale earth disturbances characteristic of mining and other large construction activities, usually within rocks. The chemicals allow copper minerals to rise to the top and stick to. This chapter examines metals in the environment and traces metal assimilation by aquatic organisms in three parts. Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by crossref and updated daily. Some or all of this iron can precipitate to form the red, orange, or yellow sediments in the bottom of streams containing mine drainage. The products of pyrite oxidation are free acid and soluble acid. Coal mining and coal combustion in generation of electricity produces various types of wastes such as, acid mine drainage amd and fly ashfathat require a form of management and remediation. Bioremediation of acid mine drainage using sulfate. Acid mine drainage is a major problem with many hardrock mines, including almost all.
The sulfide minerals oxidize in the presence of water and oxygen to form acidic, sulfaterich drainage. As a result, the water becomes very acidic and damages downstream aquatic ecosystems. Big wheeling creek in lansing, ohio is shown here in 1972, when it was polluted with sulfuric acid, iron pyrites, and other mine runoff. Although acid mine drainage is the most common impact of mining on water quality, the variety of mineral geology is such that there is no singlecharacteristic mine water. The following winter, the mine workings and former ponds filled up with water from rainfall and began producing acid mine drainage amd as the ore reacted with the water.
Department of the interior colorado school of mines u. Pdf acid mine drainage control and treatment researchgate. Acidification is a universal problem at all mining sites in which oxygenated water comes in contact with sulfide minerals or other reduced sulfur compounds. The life cycle of acid mine drainage copper ore from arizona concentrating ground up rock is mixed with water, air bubbles and small amounts of chemicals. Influence of acid mine drainage on surface water quality.
Provides the tools needed to analyze and solve acid drainage problems. This acid leaches out metals in the rock, which can enter nearby. It describes how to predict, prevent, and remediate the environmental impact of acid drainage and the oxidation of sulfides, offering the latest. Seasonal patterns of recovery evident in the fall after the summer treatment season reverted in the next spring after overwinter periods when sources were not captured. Acid mine drainage from an abandoned sulphide mine in smolnik, with the flow rates of 510 l s. Acidic mining lakes acid mine drainage, limnology and. This book has now been published by wileyblackwell. Acid rock drainage ard and metal leaching affect the quality of water, soil, plant, and fish habitat in terms of trace elements, in both toxic or nontoxic, and bioavailable or nonavailable forms. The chemistry of the water emanating from the backfill will reflect only the rock. Mine drainage is metalrich water formed from chemical reaction between water and rocks containing sulfurbearing minerals.
In some regions, it is the most common form of stream and river pollution. Summary of passive treatment technologiespg 3 table 2. However, bioelectrochemical system bes is a promising technology to simultaneously remove and recover metal ions from amd. Innovative treatment technologies october 2003 prepared by. Characterization of mine waste and acid mine drainage. Guideline document for monitoring acid mine drainage. Engineering novel and improved biocatalysts by cell surface display. Wheal jane pptp, water chemistry for entire system, 20002002pg 15. Acid mine water drainage debating a sustainable solution to a. There are four chemical reactions that represent the chemistry of pyrite weathering to form acid mine drainage. The effects of this phenomenon are so immense that it can cause devastation that could last for hundreds to thousands of years. Request pdf the geochemistry of acid mine drainage mining and mineral processing generates large volumes of waste, including waste rock, mill tailings, and mineral refinery wastes. Neuware this comprehensive reference text examines all aspects of acid mine drainage.
The formation of acid mine drainage and the contaminants associated with it have been described as the largest environmental problem facing the u. In examining this table, it is important to note that diffusion of oxygen into water is slow and, therefore, oxidation of iron sulfide is inhibited until the water level drops, which can occur periodically or seasonally in some cases. Some mine drainage has been seen to have ph in the 2. Remediation of acid mine drainageimpacted water springerlink. Releases of amd have low ph, high specific conductivity, high. Mine drainage is formed when pyrite an iron sulfide is exposed and reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. When the rocks made of sulfur are excavated from a mine surface or an underground mine, they react with water and oxygen to form sulfuric acid. Acid mine drainage is a condition where, as the name suggests, the water is made acidic. An international workshop was held in september 1995 at the department for inland water research of the ufzcentre for environmental research. Acid mine drainage, which can have ph values as low as.
Huang x, evangelou vp 1992 abatement of acid mine drainage by encapsulation of acid producing geologic materials. Effective treatment options for acid mine drainage in the. Provides the tools needed to analyze and solve acid drainage problems featuring contributions from leading experts in science and engineering, this book explores the complex biogeochemistry of acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. Acid mine drainage effects, types, plants, marine, oxygen. Trace element geochemistry and acid rock drainage acid. The term mineimpacted water is used because it is more inclusive than terms such as acid mine drainage amd or acid rock drainage ard. Acid mine drainage amd is a problem occurring across the globe, including in southeastern ohio. Acid mine drainage formation and chemistry today acid mine drainage is a fairly well understood phenomenon.
This springerbrief focuses on acid mine drainage amd in the three basins in the witwatersrand, south africa. Hardness is the concentration of divalent cations e. Neuware acid mine drainage amd isamong the most significant environmental challenges facing the mining industry worldwide. Acid mine drainage research acid mine drainage amd has been the subject of intensive research since the 1960s. Exposure of these reactive sulphides to oxygen and water may result in acid generation. Bioremediation of acid mine drainage using sulfatereducing bacteria list of tables table 1. Acidic water is not the only issue caused by acid mine drainage. Amd is caused when water flows over or through sulfurbearing materials forming solutions of net acidity. Apr 25, 2014 sulfide oxidation, the mechanism for acid drainage, is a portion of that important sulphur chemistry that is an abundant source of energy to microbes and is also a major biochemical reaction in the changing geochemistry on earth. Characterization of mine waste rocks and prediction of acid mine drainage amd play an important role in preventing amd. Waterquality criteria for some metals are hardnessdependent. Wildeman billings symposium asmr annual meeting assessing the toxicity potential of mine waste piles workshop june 1, 2003 u. Fundamentals of minedrainage formation and chemistry. Currently, most strategies for amd treatment merely focus on metal removal rather than metal recovery.
Amd comes mainly from abandoned coal mines and currently active mining. It is primarily a legacy issue resulting from the days of coal mining when problems of this nature were. Acid mine drainage amd refers to the outflow of acidic water from a mining site. Metals associated with acid rock drainage and their effect. Major environmental incidents caused by acid mine drainage. Amd may adversely impact the surface water and groundwater quality and land use due to. A treatment process for acid mine drainage amd using coal fly ash cfa was developed. The south african government and nongovernmental organizations response to amd is assessed, as well the. In most cases, this acid comes primarily from oxidation of iron sulfide fes2, also known as pyrite or fools gold, which is often found in conjunction with valuable metals. Acid mine drainage in south africa development actors. Acid mine drainage amd is typically characterized by low ph and high dissolved iron. Acid mine drainage may occur in the mine itself, the spoil heap particularly colliery spoils from coal mining, or through some other activity that exposes metal sulfides at a high concentration, such as at major construction sites. January 1996 acid mine drainage is a common problem in many parts of the country, originating from hardrock mines, strip mines or tailing piles. Then, when the runoff meets a stream and becomes diluted or contacts carbonate rocks, the slightly higher ph causes feoh 3 to precipitate.
Acid mine drainage an overview sciencedirect topics. The remnants of this industry are still with us in the form of abandoned mines that underlay a great portion of the land on which we live, and in the drainage of acidic waters from the mines into our streams and rivers. Another waterquality parameter that is useful for characterizing water quality of acid mine drainage is specific conductance. Acid mine drainage solutions for the mineral industry. Current methods for the remediation of acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage prevention and control options nural kuyucak golder associates ltd. It occurs as a result of natural oxidation of sulphide minerals contained in mining wastes at operating and decommissioned mine sites.
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