Acid mine drainage prevention and control options nural kuyucak golder associates ltd. Acid rock drainage ard is a natural process in which sulfuric acid is produced when sulfides in rocks for example, pyrite fes 2 are exposed to air and water. Acid minerock drainage center for water, earth science. Currently, most strategies for amd treatment merely focus on metal removal rather than metal recovery. In mineral resourcerich africa, this has emerged as one of the most daunting challenges of our time.
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 research acid mine drainage amd has been the subject of intensive research since the 1960s. However, bioelectrochemical system bes is a promising technology to simultaneously remove and recover metal ions from amd. There are four chemical reactions that represent the chemistry of pyrite weathering to. 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.
Acid mine drainage amd is typically characterized by low ph and high dissolved iron. Management and mitigation of acid mine drainage in south. Damage resulting from acid mine drainage was first addressed by common law and riparian principles. Neuware acid mine drainage amd isamong the most significant environmental challenges facing the mining industry worldwide. Acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils.
Acid mine drainage solutions for the mineral industry. This lesson covers the basic chemistry behind amd and the remediation processes, as. Acid minerock drainage center for water, earth science and. As the young observer gazes across the landscape, he sees a scar on the neighboring ridge. Amd or acid rock drainage ard, collectively called acid drainage ad, is acidic water ph less than 5.
Assessment of impacts of acid mine drainage on surface water. Mine drainage is formed when pyrite an iron sulfide is exposed and reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. Thus, this study applied some simple testing methods to the. Illustrated with dozens of photographs, charts, tables and maps, the book is a compendium of 36 scientific papers written by. Geological survey usgs scientists were shown to be effective for evaluating strategies to reduce acid mine drainage in streams. 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 mine drainage amd refers to the outflow of acidic water from a mining site. 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.
There are four chemical reactions that represent the chemistry of pyrite weathering to form acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage is a major problem with many hardrock mines, including almost all. Process of acid mine drainage geochemical and microbial reactions during weathering of sulfide minerals pyrite in coal, refuse, or mine overburden oxidation of sulfide minerals in the presence of air, water, and bacteria formation of sulfuric acid and increase in acidity solubilization of metals due to low ph 5. The tools were used to estimate postcleanup water quality in two streamscement creek and mineral creek impacted by abandoned mines in colorado. The south african government and nongovernmental organizations response to amd is assessed, as well the. The impact of acid mine drainage in south africa article pdf available in south african journal of science 10756. The major areas of research on amd are prediction of amd and preventionmitigation. The acid runoff further dissolves heavy metals such as copper, lead, and mercury into groundwater or. 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. South africa is facing the increasing challenge of acid mine drainage amd whose genesis is the country s mining history, which paid limited attention to postmining mine site management.
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. Pdf the impact of acid mine drainage in south africa. Fieldstudy and computer simulation tools developed by a team of u. Acid mine drainage amd is a typical source of environmental pollution ascribing to its characteristics of high acidity and heavy metal content. The costs of treating contaminated waterfilled voids or seepages from adits would be additional. Mineacid drainage mad is the runoff produced when water comes into contact with exposed rocks containing sulfurbearing minerals that react with water and air to form sulfuric acid, dissolved fe and al, and other chemical elements blowes et al. The ph of amd is usually in the range of 26, but mineimpacted waters at circumneutral ph 58 are also common.
Mine acid drainage mad is the runoff produced when water comes into contact with exposed rocks containing sulfurbearing minerals that react with water and air to form sulfuric acid, dissolved fe and al, and other chemical elements blowes et al. Characterization of mine waste and acid mine drainage. Rusdinar y and prasetyo g 2008 longterm management of overburden and acid rock drainage in grasberg open pit. 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. Research efforts have proceeded recently through the acid drainage technology initiative. Polluted mine water definition water encountered in andor draining from active or abandoned mines which has a low ph andor highly elevated concentrations of potentially ecotoxic metals. Causes, assessment, prediction, prevention, and remediation ebook written by james a. Acid mine drainage prediction compares acid rock drainage factors of waste rock piles and tailings impoundments. Amd is caused when water flows over or through sulfurbearing materials forming solutions of net acidity. Acid mine drainage amd is currently the main pollutant of surface water in the midatlantic region. Amd may adversely impact the surface water and groundwater quality and land use due to.
Amd comes mainly from abandoned coal mines and currently active mining. 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. South africa is facing the increasing challenge of acid mine drainage amd whose genesis is the countrys mining history, which paid limited attention to postmining mine site management. The south african government and nongovernmental organizations response to amd is assessed, as well the socioeconomic and developmental effects of amd. Mine drainage usually contains elevated concentrations of.
Acid mine drainage a high school freshman sits in a grass meadow where two mountain ridges slope down and join. Mcsurdy department of energy pittsburgh research center p. 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. In some regions, it is the most common form of stream and river pollution. Acid mine drainage an overview sciencedirect topics.
Price new from used from paperback, 1995 please retry. Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage amd, or acid rock drainage ard refers to 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. One reason that pyrite is important in amd generation is that it forms under a variety of conditions and is widespread in different rock types. Acid mine drainage in south africa development actors. Acid mine drainage project gutenberg selfpublishing. The following is an overview of information on some major. South africa is facing the increasing challenge of acid mine drainage amd whose genesis is the countrys mining history, which paid limited. Mariette is the ceo of the federation for a sustainable environment and was a member of the sahrc section 05 committee on human rights and acid mine drainage. At right is a typical acid mine drainage discharge from an abandoned underground coal mine. 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 problem and the cleanup acid mine drainage is a global problem. Acid mine drainage effects, types, plants, marine, oxygen.
It occurs as a result of natural oxidation of sulphide minerals contained in mining wastes at operating and decommissioned mine sites. Acid mine drainage amd occurs primarily when the mineral ore pyrite fes 2 is exposed to water and oxygen from air, producing soluble iron and sulfuric acid. Acidic mining lakes acid mine drainage, limnology and. Characterization of mine waste rocks and prediction of acid mine drainage amd play an important role in preventing amd. 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.
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 south african human rights commission acknowledges mariette liefferink and eugene viljoen for providing the photographs that appear in this booklet. This occurs along outcrops or scree slopes where sulfidebearing rock is naturally weathered. 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. At first it looks like a rockslide or scree slope, but on closer examination he sees a hole in the mountainside. The acid mine drainage may also contain high amounts of co2 which forms carbonic acid and further depresses the ph. Acid mine drainage amd is a problem occurring across the globe, including in southeastern ohio. What is acid mine drainage amd, why is it such a serious threat to south africa and more importantly why has been it been silenced and kept under wraps by the mining industry and south african government for so long. This springerbrief focuses on acid mine drainage amd in the three basins in the witwatersrand, south africa.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate. Pyrite undergoes oxidation in a series of reactions, the first stage trigger of which results in production of sulfuric acid and ferrous sulfate as provided in eq. As a result, the water becomes very acidic and damages downstream aquatic ecosystems. Handson experiments to test for acid mine drainage dr. Provides the tools needed to analyze and solve acid drainage problems.
An international workshop was held in september 1995 at the department for inland water research of the ufzcentre for environmental research. Assessment of impacts of acid mine drainage on surface water quality of tweelopiespruit microcatchment, limpopo basin. Acid mine drainage amd is the flow, or seepage, of polluted water from old mining areas. It is an abandoned mine with a waste rock pile at its entrance. It provides a background to amd and its impactsfrom a social science perspective. Silicate treatment for acid mine drainage prevention. Assessment of impacts of acid mine drainage on surface. Acid mine drainage amd is a pollutant that arises from exposure of metal sulphide minerals such as the abundantly available pyrite fes 2 to oxygen and water during the mining of metals and coals 1, 2. Read acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils causes, assessment, prediction, prevention, and remediation by james a. 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. Some or all of this iron can precipitate to form the red, orange, or yellow sediments in the bottom of streams containing mine drainage. This lesson covers the basic chemistry behind amd and the remediation processes, as well as how.
Pdf acid mine drainage management in indonesian mines. It describes how to predict, prevent, and remediate the environmental impact of acid drainage and the oxidation of sulfides, offering the latest sampling and. Mining, waste ore burden, tailings, and exposure of abandoned mines to the environment promote amd, catalyzed by naturally occurring acidophilic chemolithotrophic bacteria. Acid mine drainage amd is generated under environmental conditions when sulfide minerals are exposed to oxygen, water, and acidophilic microorganisms. Common law, smcra, and the clean water act, author henrich, c, abstractnote acid mine drainage is a major problem related to coal mining which, if unabated, can severely damage the aquatic environment. To combat this problem, the mdti was formed as a partnership of technical experts from industry, state and federal agencies and academia who have joined together to combat amd and related waterquality problems from mining and seek solutions to them. Acid mine drainage amd consists of metalladen solutions produced by the oxidative dissolution of iron sulfide minerals exposed to air, moisture, and acidophilic microbes during the mining of coal and metal deposits. Provides the tools needed to analyze and solve acid drainage problems featuring contributions from leading experts in sc.
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