Other methods like filter presses are done in batch mode with operators opening and cleaning the filter cake on a. The acidic water formed by this process can dissolve many metals. The acidic water formed by this process can dissolve many metals in bioavailable. The production of broken waste rock and tailings by mining operations can expose large amounts of pyrite and other sulphides to the effects of water and oxygen. The oxidation of sulphidic mine wastes and the consequent release of acid mine drainage and acid rock drainage, is one of the main strategic environmental issues facing the mining industry.
Pdf acid mine drainage amd occurs after mining exposes metal sulfides to oxidizing conditions. Deepdyve is the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at your fingertips. Is the remediation at parys mountain successfully reducing. Handbook of technologies for avoidance and remediation of acid mine drainage. The high incidence of acid rain and abandoned acid mine drainage areas in pennsylvania has left many streams polluted and in need of restoration. 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. What is acid mine drainage sources of nonpoint source pollution acid mine drainage amd is currently the main pollutant of surface water in the midatlantic region. Acid mine drainage acid drainage occurs when minerals containing reduced forms of sulfur s oxidize via exposure to oxygen and water during earth disturbances figure 1. Hallberg school of biological sciences, university of wales, bangor ll57 2uw, uk abstract acid mine drainage amd causes environmental pollution that affects many countries having historic or current mining industries.
The following is an overview of information on some major. Acid mine drainage causes, consequences and remediation. Floating wetland treatment of acid mine drainage using. Role of flow and organic carbon on acid mine drainage remediation in. When the acid forming materials of a surface or underground mine are completely flooded, the acid production tends to cease. Hydrogeochemical features of surface water and groundwater. Acid mine drainage from reclaimed coal strip mines 1. Innovative treatment technologies notice this document was prepared by a national network of environmental management studies grantee under a fellowship from the u. Sixty percent of the case study mines 1525 exceeded. These are dangerous for peoples health, as well as plants and animals. Acid mine drainage, environmental effects, treatment.
In the eastern united states alone, amd from coal mines has adversely impacted fisheries associated with over,000 kilometers 8,000 miles of streams in pennsylvania, west virginia, ohio, and maryland. The high acidity of acid mine drainage and the high amounts of dissolved heavy metals such as copper and zinc generally make acid mine drainage extremely toxic to most organisms pentreath, 1994. Water flowing through active or abandoned mine sites can become polluted by the material being mined1. Oxidation of sulfidecontaining ores is the main cause of acid mine drainage amd, which is an environmental problem associated with both the abandoned and active mines. This paper describes acid mine drainage amd generation and its associated technical issues. Illustrated with dozens of photographs, charts, tables and maps, the book is a compendium of 36 scientific papers written by. Effective treatment of acid mine drainage with microbial. Acid mine drainage amd management semantic scholar. Acid mine drainage amd forms when sulfide m inerals are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal and metal mining, highway construction, and other largescale excavations. In the case of acid mine drainage, up to 97% of the water can be filtered in a single pass filtration using v sep. Acid mine drainage amd is a major problem all over the world, especially where coal and gold mine activities are common. Acid mine drainage amd formation has been widely recognized as one of the major environmental problems caused by mining worldwide, as evidenced by numerous studies 16. Request pdf on dec 31, 2006, ata akcil and others published acid mine drainage amd. Inhibition of acid mine drainage and immobilization of heavy metals.
However, studies on the environmental impact by coal. Commonly referred to as acid rock drainage ard or acid mine drainage amd, acid drainage from mine waste rock, tailings, and mine structures such as pits and underground workings is primarily a function of the mineralogy of the rock material and the availability of water and oxygen. Causes, treatment and case studies find, read and cite all the. Passive treatment methods for acid water in pennsylvania. Most water remediation techniques are timely and costly, and amd can continue over a period of many years, therefore requiring treatment of amd to continue until well after the land has been abandoned by mining activities. Amd comes mainly from abandoned coal mines and currently active mining. Treatment of acid mine drainage harvard university. Ferrous or soluble iron is the first pollutant associated with acid mine drainage as it starts to make streams too acidic to support aquatic life figure 1. The production of amd usually but not exclusively occurs in iron sulfideaggregated rocks. Mining activity has disrupted the hydrology of mining areas so badly that it is extremely difficult to predict where water would eventually reemerge. Staged, aerobic constructed wetlands to treat acid drainage. Nov 16, 20 kadiragagil z 2011 effect of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality.
Indepth evaluation of amd treatment options was not performed as part of this literature. Most water remediation techniques are timely and costly, and amd can continue over a period of many years, therefore requiring treatment of amd to continue until well after the. Unfortunately, amd is expensive and difficult to treat, and as a consequence, large quantities of acid mine drainage is stored at both operational and disused mine sites globally. Techniques to correct and prevent acid mine drainage. These acidic conditions can cause metals in geologic. Amd causes severe environmental impacts, particularly on soil. Acid mine drainage will ultimately be neutralised by the sea, unless it is already neutralised. Jun 17, 2016 acid mine drainage amd is the flow, or seepage, of polluted water from old mining areas. The ochre orange precipitate may be formed as the stream enters the sea, or that formed in the stream may be washed in to the sea e. Acid mine drainage causes, consequences and remediation webinar available the united nations recently labelled amd as the second biggest problem facing the world after global warming, and when considering previous case studies of dam failures and the dwindling global supply of. When the acidforming materials of a surface or underground mine are completely flooded, the acid production tends to cease.
By far the most common mine drainage problem is that of acid mine drainage amd. An example of an extreme case is a tin mine in england that was mined by the romans more than 2,000 years ago and it still produces amd from pyrite oxidation. Variables affecting the impact of acid mine drainage the overall impact of amd is very much dependent on local conditions and varies widely. Major environmental incidents caused by acid mine drainage. The causes of amd can also include forestry road building, and any activity that disturbs mineralized materials. Acid mine drainage amd from mining wastes is one of the current. The spatial data distribution indicated that the acid effluents favor the chemical elements leaching and transport from the tailings pile into the superficial. When pyrite is exposed to air and water, it oxidises to form sulphuric acid and. Samples of amd that originated from inactive uranium mine in brazil. This occurs along outcrops or scree slopes where sulfidebearing rock is naturally weathered. The present study investigated the efficiency of kmno 4 in removing manganese from amd effluents.
Case study acid mine drainage south africa earthwise. Amd, acid drainage from mine waste rock, tailings, and mine structures such. Acid mine drainage causes, consequences and remediation webinar available the united nations recently labelled amd as the second biggest problem facing the world after global warming, and when considering previous case studies of dam failures and the dwindling global supply of fresh water, it is easy to see why. Although this process occurs naturally, mining can promote amd generation simply through increasing the quantity of sulfides exposed. The outflow of acidic liquids and other pollutants from mines is often catalysed by acidloving microorganisms. Acid mine drainage prevention and control options nural kuyucak golder associates ltd.
Msc thesis, harran university in turkish with english abstract k. The problem and the cleanup acid mine drainage is a global problem. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania. Kadiragagil z 2011 effect of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality.
Acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. Studies of limestone treatment of acid mine drainage. Iron pyrite, fes2, also known as fools gold, is the most important source of nearly all water pollution originating from mines and their residue deposits. Pdf acid mine drainage formation, control and treatment. Minerals responsible for the generation of amd are iron sulfides pyrite, fes 2, and pyrrhotite, fe 1x s, which are stable and insoluble while not in contact with water. In this last case, amd treatment with cao was used.
Acid mine drainage amd is the name given to outflows of water that contain high levels of acidity and heavy metals due to the reaction and oxidation of geological layers which consist of sulfide containing minerals, especially pyritefes 2 akcil et al. Causes, treatment and case studies article in journal of cleaner production 14. Research efforts have proceeded recently through the acid drainage technology initiative. Effects of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality.
We constructed two treatment ponds at this site and installed 1,600 feet of 15 pvc pipe from the mine mouth to. Prediction of water quality at surface mine sites pdf format acid mine drainage abatement projects. Case studies providing acid mine drainage water treatment. 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. Acid mine drainage amd is the flow, or seepage, of polluted water from old mining areas. As amd is recognized as one of the more serious environmental problems in the mining industry, its causes, prediction and treatment have become the focus of a number of research initiatives commissioned by governments, the mining industry, universities and research establishments, with additional. Acid mine drainage prediction compares acid rock drainage factors of waste rock piles and tailings impoundments. Constructed wetlands for treating acid mine drainage. Once amd is generated, it is difficult to control the process and the treatment also requires high cost aguiar et al.
Mining practices, present and past, cause environmental problems that can damage. Using fes 2 as an example, amd for mation can be represented as follows. Acid mine drainage amd is produced when sulfidebearing material is exposed to oxygen and water. Genera such as acidithiobacillus and leptospirillum bacteria, and thermoplasmatales archaea, are present in. Acid mine drainage amd is one typical pollutant of water in many countries that have historic or current mining activities. The authors recognize that amd and elevated metal levels in water are inextricably linked. An example of acid mine drainage flowing into shamokin creek. Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining. Metal ion concentrations and acidity were used as indicators of acid mine drainage amd at parys mountain, a large abandoned copper mine on anglesey, wales.
Acid mine drainage amd is the most common cause of mining activities taking place in different countries across the world, which results in the production of wastes in large quantities that can. Acid rock drainage and acid mine drainage acid rock drainage ard is a natural process in which sulfuric acid is produced when sulfides in rocksfor example, pyrite fes 2 are exposed to air and water. Acid mine drainage research acid mine drainage amd has been the subject of intensive research since the 1960s. Acid mine drainage effects, types, plants, marine, oxygen.
Elevated concentrations of heavy metals pose a substantive threat to the environment, especially when the allowable threshold limits of heavy metals are exceeded. Sulphuric acid is a clear, colorless, oily liquid that is very corrosive. Studies of limestone treatment of acid mine drainage part ii by bituminous coal research, inc. Oxidative precipitation of manganese from acid mine. Acid mine drainage on the witwatersrand has reached a crisis point. Individual mine closures have not resulted in massive. Acid mine drainage amd is a major environmental impact associated with. Flux is inversely related to % recovery, so the optimum % recovery may vary for each application.
Water samples were collected in two sessions and taken from a linear stream flowing from the northern side of the mine, and a stream flowing from the south side of the mine that has two settling ponds and long stretches of wetland along. Illustrated with dozens of photographs, charts, tables and maps, the book is a compendium of 36 scientific papers written by various experts that cover these complex topics. Sulfuric acid is produced when water interacts with sulfurbearing materials in the presence of oxygen and common bacteria1. Acid mine drainage amd has been a detrimental byproduct of coal mining for many years. Treatment of acid mine drainage the problem of acid mine drainage amd has been present since mining activity began thousands of years ago. Some case studies included in this paper are the wheal jane mine, which in 1992 had 50,000m3 of acid mine drainage amd released into the environment hallberg and johnson 2005a, as well as mines in korea and india. Acid mine drainage amd has been considered one of the industries toughest problems to solve. Appendix b brief case description of case studies found in this report. Many streams derived from acid mine drainage are largely devoid of life for a. The major areas of research on amd are prediction of amd and preventionmitigation. We constructed two treatment ponds at this site and installed 1,600 feet of 15 pvc pipe from the mine mouth to the ponds. Although oxidative precipitation by potassium permanganate is a widely recognised process for manganese removal, research dealing with highly contaminated acid mine drainage amd has yet to be performed.
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