Since normal acid rain is formed via combustion of fossil fuels, the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are all in the gas phase, whereas in. A complex series of chemical weathering reactions are spontaneously initiated when surface mining activities expose spoil. Design and evaluation of an acid leachingsolvent extraction process to extract rare earth elements from acid mine drainage precipitates paul ziemkiewicz, chris vass wv water research inst. Research efforts have proceeded recently through the acid drainage technology initiative. Study of inorganic pollutants removal from acid mine drainage by hemp hurds. Acid problems can occur when pyritic coal associated rocks are disturbed.
Acid mine drainage prediction compares acid rock drainage factors of waste rock piles and tailings impoundments. To save the pdf file to disk, rightclick on the link above and choose save link as. 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 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. Characterization of acid mine drainage at the holden mine, chelan county, washington by i.
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. In general, a larger influence of mining activities on the chemical composition of the surface waters and sediments was. Since the passage of smcra in 1977, coal mine operators. Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining. Pdf acid mine drainage control and treatment researchgate. It often produces an environment devoid of most aquatic life and unfit for desired uses. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days. The production of amd usually but not exclusively occurs in iron sulfideaggregated rocks. However, acid mine drainage eventually leaves its mark. Mining and water pollution issues return acid mine drainage amd is the biggest environmental threat from mining in. The geochemistry of acid mine drainage request pdf. Under normal circumstances the pyrite may well be exposed to both of these because it is on the.
The chemistry of the water emanating from the backfill will reflect only the rock. Acid mine drainage prevention and control options 601 prediction of performance the performance of the designed or selected options compared to the adopted standards is predicted by applying appropriate engineering techniques e. Acid mine drainage research acid mine drainage amd has been the subject of intensive research since the 1960s. Passive remediation of acid mine drainage using ball. The chemistry of oxidation of pyrites, the production of. The acid mine drainage may also contain high amounts of co2 which forms carbonic acid and further depresses the ph. Introduction the mining of coal deposits and metal ores often results in a phenomenon called acid mine drainage amd. Guideline document for monitoring acid mine drainage. Sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive chemical, used in many industrial. 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. Largescale coal mining started in the deckers creek watershed at the turn of the twentieth century. Characterization of acid mine drainage at the holden mine. Acid mine drainage solutions for the mineral industry.
This occurs along outcrops or scree slopes where sulfidebearing rock is naturally weathered. Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining area. Acid mine drainage amd is the flow, or seepage, of polluted water from old mining areas. Geological survey editorial standards and stratigraphic nomenclature. Acid mine drainage may form within mine wastes tailings and rock dumps that are impacted with surface water or in underground workings groundwater, and its production can continue long after.
Acid mine drainage is the second most important source of stream impairment in the appalachian basin. Mine drainage is metalrich water formed from a chemical reaction between water and rocks containing sulfurbearing minerals. Environmental science and technology 2007, 41, 23 pp81498153. Development of an ree recovery industry around pre and postlaw mines will incentivize capture of these drainage sources, treatment of amd and discharge of clean water. Geological survey, open file report 00369, online only, version 1. Environmental assessment of acid mine drainage pollution. Treating acid mine drainage from abandoned mines in. Acid mine drainage the chemistry csir research space.
Acid mine drainage amd is mining wastewater generated when the sulfide how to cite this paper. The chemicals allow copper minerals to rise to the top and stick to. The sulfide minerals oxidize in the presence of water. 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. Effective treatment options for acid mine drainage in the. Acid mine drainage amd refers to the outflow of acidic water. Treating acid mine drainage from abandoned mines in remote areas john j. Treating acid mine drainage from abandoned mines in remote. The severity and extent of damage depend upon a variety of factors in cluding the frequency, volume, and chemical nature of. Mcsurdy department of energy pittsburgh research center p. In summary, the influx of acid mine drainage into streams can severely degrade both habitat and water quality.
Extraction and beneficiation operations associated with mining activity increase the rate of these same chemical reactions by exposing large volumes of sulfide. It is primarily a legacy issue resulting from the days of coal mining when problems of this nature were. This results primarily from the oxidative breakdown of transition metal sulfides, especially pyrite fes 2. American recovery and reinvestment act of 2009 arra. Most discussions on acid mine drainage refer to the physical process of oxidation while the role of microorganisms is left unnoticed.
January 1996 acid mine drainage is a common problem in many parts of the country, originating from hardrock mines, strip mines or tailing piles. Pdf acid mine drainage formation, control and treatment. Hardness is the concentration of divalent cations e. Usda is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Reducing acid mine drainage amd in deckers creek west virginia success story reducing acid mine drainage amd in deckers creek. Problems that can be associated with mine drainage include contaminated drinking water, disrupted growth and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals, and the corroding effects of the acid on parts of infrastructures such as bridges. The microbiology of acid mine drainage by jim taylor, p. Most of the abandoned deep mines along deckers creek produce acid drainage. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 5617 78857890. This has allowed iron, found in the rocks within mine workings, to mix with underground water. The rate and degree by which acid mine drainage proceeds can be increased by the action of certain bacteria. Acid drainage influence on the water and sediment quality was investigated in a coal mining area southern brazil.
Recovery of rare earth elements rees from coal mine drainage. Pyrite oxidation produces extremely acidic drainages as low as ph 2 enriched with fe, mn, al, so4, and often heavy metals such as pb, hg, cd, etc. There is actually a complex series of reactions and side reactions, but the net equation is often written according to equation 1. Acid mine drainage american society of mining and reclamation. 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.
Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. Reducing acid mine drainage amd in deckers creek nrcs. Acid rock drainage ard is produced by the oxidation of sulfide minerals. There are four chemical reactions that represent the chemistry of pyrite weathering to form acid mine. Acid mine drainage formation and chemistry today acid mine drainage is a fairly well understood phenomenon.
Acid mine drainage patagonia area resource alliance. 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. 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. 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 amd is produced when sulfidebearing material is exposed to oxygen and water. Acid mine drainage amd is typically characterized by low ph and high dissolved iron. Guideline document for monitoring acid mine drainage mend project 4. Acid mine drainage in south africa has become a major concern for the countrys water infrastructure over recent years. Article views are the countercompliant sum of full text article downloads since november 2008 both pdf and html across all institutions and individuals. Science report abandoned mines and the water environment iii.
The chemistry of the rock between the coals is poorly understood, but the presence of acid mine drainage from more than a century of mining indicates that the potential for acid drainage exists and caution should be exercised when excavating. Effect of acid mine drainage on aquatic resources once acid drainage is created, metals are released into the surrounding environment, and become readily available to biological organisms. Acid mine drainage amd is currently the main pollutant of surface water in the. Geologic units containing potentially significant acid. Some or all of this iron can precipitate to form the red, orange, or yellow sediments in the bottom of streams containing mine drainage. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 5617, 78857890. Manalta coal ltds proposed openpit telkwa mine near smithers telkwa. In some regions, it is the most common form of stream and river pollution. This is a natural chemical reaction which can proceed when minerals are exposed to air and water. This may be the biggest challenge of all the unknown.
Acid mine water drainage debating a sustainable solution. Treatment of acid mine lakes tu bergakademie freiberg. Thanks to the international veolia group, veolia water technologies south africa is able to supply a costcompetitive acid mine drainage treatment system that can reduce the impact of mining on the environment. To file a complaint of discrimination, write usda, director, office of civil rights, room 326w, whitten building, 14th and independence avenue, sw, washington, dc 202509410 or call 202 7205964 voice or tdd. Chemical composition of the acid mine lake water 112007. Because the chemistry of water samples can rapidly change if removed from the mine, many mine drainage measurements are made in the field. Acid mine drainage overview acid rock drainage ard is produced by the oxidation of sulfide minerals, chiefly iron pyrite or iron disulfide fes2. Understanding mine water treatment mine water, acid mine drainage and ochre as coal mining in the uk has reduced, some arrangements to pump water out of the mines have stopped. Study of inorganic pollutants removal from acid mine. Fundamentals of minedrainage formation and chemistry. Acid mine drainage effects, types, plants, marine, oxygen.
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. Mine drainage is formed when pyrite an iron sulfide is exposed and reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. The acid runoff further dissolves heavy metals such as copper, lead, and mercury into groundwater or surface water. The rate and degree by which acidmine drainage proceeds can be. 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. Acid mine drainage an overview sciencedirect topics. As a result, the water becomes very acidic and damages downstream aquatic ecosystems. An introduction to acid mine drainage wv department of.