The high incidence of acid rain and abandoned acid mine drainage areas in pennsylvania has left many streams polluted and in need of restoration. Jun 17, 2016 acid mine drainage amd is the flow, or seepage, of polluted water from old mining areas. 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. Acid mine drainage amd has been a detrimental byproduct of coal mining for many years. Pdf acid mine drainage amd occurs after mining exposes metal sulfides to oxidizing conditions. Acid mine drainage amd from mining wastes is one of the current. When the acid forming materials of a surface or underground mine are completely flooded, the acid production tends to cease. We constructed two treatment ponds at this site and installed 1,600 feet of 15 pvc pipe from the mine mouth to. In this last case, amd treatment with cao was used. 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. Illustrated with dozens of photographs, charts, tables and maps, the book is a compendium of 36 scientific papers written by. This paper describes acid mine drainage amd generation and its associated technical issues. Acid mine drainage, environmental effects, treatment. Pdf acid mine drainage formation, control and treatment.
Sixty percent of the case study mines 1525 exceeded. Constructed wetlands for treating acid mine drainage. Major environmental incidents caused by acid mine drainage. Oxidative precipitation of manganese from acid mine.
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. 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. Is the remediation at parys mountain successfully reducing. Acid mine drainage on the witwatersrand has reached a crisis point. Other methods like filter presses are done in batch mode with operators opening and cleaning the filter cake on a. Acid mine drainage from reclaimed coal strip mines 1.
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. Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining. Techniques to correct and prevent acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage effects, types, plants, marine, oxygen. The following is an overview of information on some major. 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. Amd, acid drainage from mine waste rock, tailings, and mine structures such. 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 mine drainage amd management semantic scholar. These are dangerous for peoples health, as well as plants and animals. Amd causes severe environmental impacts, particularly on soil. Acid mine drainage amd is one typical pollutant of water in many countries that have historic or current mining activities. What can be done to prevent or clean up acid mine drainage. Passive treatment methods for acid water in pennsylvania.
The present study investigated the efficiency of kmno 4 in removing manganese from amd effluents. The united nations recently labelled amd as the second biggest problem facing the world after global warming, and when considering previous case studies of. These acidic conditions can cause metals in geologic. Genera such as acidithiobacillus and leptospirillum bacteria, and thermoplasmatales archaea, are present in. 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. Innovative treatment technologies notice this document was prepared by a national network of environmental management studies grantee under a fellowship from the u. The production of amd usually but not exclusively occurs in iron sulfideaggregated rocks. Msc thesis, harran university in turkish with english abstract k. Individual mine closures have not resulted in massive. When the acidforming materials of a surface or underground mine are completely flooded, the acid production tends to cease. Amd comes mainly from abandoned coal mines and currently active mining. Treatment of acid mine drainage the problem of acid mine drainage amd has been present since mining activity began thousands of years ago.
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. Inhibition of acid mine drainage and immobilization of heavy metals. The outflow of acidic liquids and other pollutants from mines is often catalysed by acidloving microorganisms. Acid mine drainage amd is the flow, or seepage, of polluted water from old mining areas. Effects of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality. When pyrite is exposed to air and water, it oxidises to form sulphuric acid and. 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. Case study acid mine drainage south africa earthwise. Flux is inversely related to % recovery, so the optimum % recovery may vary for each application. 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. 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.
The problem and the cleanup acid mine drainage is a global problem. Acid mine drainage prediction compares acid rock drainage factors of waste rock piles and tailings impoundments. Depending on the area, the water may contain toxic heavy metals and radioactive particles. Kadiragagil z 2011 effect of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality. Deepdyve is the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at your fingertips. Appendix b brief case description of case studies found in this report. We constructed two treatment ponds at this site and installed 1,600 feet of 15 pvc pipe from the mine mouth to the ponds. 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.
This occurs along outcrops or scree slopes where sulfidebearing rock is naturally weathered. An example of acid mine drainage flowing into shamokin creek. Sulfuric acid is produced when water interacts with sulfurbearing materials in the presence of oxygen and common bacteria1. Acid mine drainage causes, consequences and remediation. The acidic water formed by this process can dissolve many metals. 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 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. Indepth evaluation of amd treatment options was not performed as part of this literature. Acid mine drainage amd is a major environmental impact associated with. Staged, aerobic constructed wetlands to treat acid drainage. Acid mine drainage prevention and control options nural kuyucak golder associates ltd.
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. 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 aim of this presentation is to focus on one case study, illustrating the processes and technologies used on a chilean mine to manage acid mine drainage, reduce the environmental impact and in an effort to extend to increase water recycling possibilities. Floating wetland treatment of acid mine drainage using.
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 of acid mine drainage with microbial. Acid mine drainage research acid mine drainage amd has been the subject of intensive research since the 1960s. 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. The acidic water formed by this process can dissolve many metals in bioavailable. 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. Once amd is generated, it is difficult to control the process and the treatment also requires high cost aguiar et al.
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. Role of flow and organic carbon on acid mine drainage remediation in. Research efforts have proceeded recently through the acid drainage technology initiative. The causes of amd can also include forestry road building, and any activity that disturbs mineralized materials. Although this process occurs naturally, mining can promote amd generation simply through increasing the quantity of sulfides exposed. 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. 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. However, studies on the environmental impact by coal.
Mining activity has disrupted the hydrology of mining areas so badly that it is extremely difficult to predict where water would eventually reemerge. Acid mine drainage amd has been considered one of the industries toughest problems to solve. 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. Request pdf on dec 31, 2006, ata akcil and others published acid mine drainage amd. Over 2,400 miles of pennsylvania streams do not meet water quality standards due to acid mine drainage amd, and the commonwealth has 5 miles of chronically acidified streams due to acid rain. Nov 16, 20 kadiragagil z 2011 effect of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality.
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. Treatment of acid mine drainage harvard university. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania. Studies of limestone treatment of acid mine drainage part ii by bituminous coal research, inc. 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. Hydrogeochemical features of surface water and groundwater. The major areas of research on amd are prediction of amd and preventionmitigation. Amd is caused when water flows over or through sulfurbearing materials forming solutions of net acidity. Handbook of technologies for avoidance and remediation of acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage amd is a major problem all over the world, especially where coal and gold mine activities are common. The authors recognize that amd and elevated metal levels in water are inextricably linked. Water flowing through active or abandoned mine sites can become polluted by the material being mined1.
Samples of amd that originated from inactive uranium mine in brazil. 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. 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. Case studies providing acid mine drainage water treatment. Acid mine drainage amd is produced when sulfidebearing material is exposed to oxygen and water. The spatial data distribution indicated that the acid effluents favor the chemical elements leaching and transport from the tailings pile into the superficial.
Many streams derived from acid mine drainage are largely devoid of life for a. Sulphuric acid is a clear, colorless, oily liquid that is very corrosive. Variables affecting the impact of acid mine drainage the overall impact of amd is very much dependent on local conditions and varies widely. 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. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals pose a substantive threat to the environment, especially when the allowable threshold limits of heavy metals are exceeded. Acid mine drainage will ultimately be neutralised by the sea, unless it is already neutralised. Studies of limestone treatment of acid mine drainage. 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. 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. In coalmining areas, the most common of these minerals is iron pyrite fes 2.
In the case of acid mine drainage, up to 97% of the water can be filtered in a single pass filtration using v sep. Using fes 2 as an example, amd for mation can be represented as follows. 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. Mining practices, present and past, cause environmental problems that can damage. Causes, treatment and case studies find, read and cite all the. Prediction of water quality at surface mine sites pdf format acid mine drainage abatement projects. Acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. By far the most common mine drainage problem is that of acid mine drainage amd.
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