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. Acid mine drainage solutions for the mineral industry. Preventing impacts from metal leaching and acid rock drainage mlard is a highly important, costly and timeconsuming environmental issue facing the british columbia mining industry. Acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils wiley. Acid rock drainage ard, also referred to as acid mine drainage amd, is the outflow of acidic water from mining operations including waste rock, tailings, and exposed surfaces in open pits and underground workings. Evolution of acid mine drainage formation in sulphidic mine. This acid leaches out metals in the rock, which can enter nearby. Acid rock drainage treatment using membrane distillation. Compostfree bioreactor treatment of acid rock drainage leviathan mine, california innovative technology evaluation report national risk management laboratory office of research and development u. Also learn about the impact of construction projects on this phenomenon. When fully exposed to air and water, the chemical reactions forming amd occur at a faster rate. Acidrock drainage at skytop, centre county, pennsylvania, 2004. Preventing acid and metalliferous drainage department of industry.
If constructed correctly, olcs should be maintenance free and provide amd. Acid rock drainage management plan kinnears quarry v2. Media in category acid mine drainage the following 51 files are in this category, out of 51 total. Pdf acid mine drainage formation, control and treatment. The most significant environmental impact from mines results from minerals that weather and release potentially harmful elements into water resources. Cad98067685 at an abandoned openpit sulfur mine located in alpine county, california. The potential risk of contaminated mine drainage should be fully evaluated before mining. What can be done to prevent or clean up acid mine drainage. While most mines do not have an ard problem, the few that do represent a signi3cant liability for their owners as indicated in many of. Most rock extraction sites, including mine sites and building construction sites, require a plan to assess, and mitigate if present, the risk of acid mine drainage amd. The area of pond 2 that is below the finished surface level refer figure 6 drawing 4. Acid rock drainage as a concern and part of all metals and mining operations.
Problems associated with mine drainage contaminated drinking water disrupted growth and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals corroding effects of acid on parts of infrastructure such as bridges 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. Cleanup on most sites will take decades those with acid drainage will require water treatment in perpetuity. The concentration of free hydrogen ions acid in solution is measured by ph. The following is an overview of information on some major. Acid mine drainage overview acid rock drainage ard is produced by the oxidation of sulfide minerals, chiefly iron pyrite or iron disulfide fes2. Ard is often mislabelled amd or acid mine drainage too. Field testing methods to improve sampling for acid rock drainage assessments. An in situ ftir study of galena and pyrite oxidation in aqueous solution. Acid rock drainage ard prediction is a very important issue in order to predict and prevent environmental pollution associated with mining activities. View table of contents for acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. Pdf acid mine drainage amd occurs after mining exposes metal sulfides to.
As part of the superfund innovative technology evaluation site program, an evaluation of the compostfree bioreactor treatment of acid rock drainage ard from the aspen seep was conducted at the leviathan mine superfund site located in a remote, high altitude area of alpine county, california. Acidic mining lakes acid mine drainage, limnology and. Crush coarse rock samples such that at least 90% of the. 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 rock drainage from sulphide minerals is the most significant environmental impact from mines. Acid mine drainage amd forms when sulfide minerals, particularly pyrite and marcasite, have been exposed to oxidizing conditions during mining and other excavation activities, such as highway. Cost 1 mitigation measures are required when there is a need to prevent metal leaching or acid rock drainage impacts to other resources. Leviathan mine is a united states superfund site cerclis id. The handcart gulch research site was developed by the u. Comparison of acid rock drainage factors in waste rock piles and tailings. Acid rock drainage analysis and testing services acid rock drainage ard also known as acid mine drainage amd describes the formation of acid when sulphidebearing mine wastes principally pyrite, but also pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite are exposed to oxidising conditions, typically in the presence of water, due. Policy for metal leaching and acid rock drainage at minesites in british columbia.
Acid rock drainage some bedrock contains minerals that can generate acid rock drainage ard. This is a natural chemical reaction which can proceed when minerals are exposed to air and water. Acid mine drainage formation, control and treatment. Ministry of energy and mines and ministry of environment, lands and parks, july 1998 table of contents 1. A global crisis acid drainage is a littleknown global crisis. Geological survey usgs in 2003 with the objective of better understanding geologic, geochemical, and hydrologic controls on naturally occurring acid. Acid mine drainage amd is a worldwide concern in coal and metal mining.
Acid mine drainage amd is a problem occurring across the globe, including in southeastern ohio. Major environmental incidents caused by acid mine drainage. Development of the global acid rock drainage guide. The mine site comprises approximately 250 acres 100 ha of. There are four chemical reactions that represent the chemistry of pyrite weathering to form acid mine. In this lecture we discuss weathering, acid rock drainage and methods for prevention and mitigation. The development of the global acid rock drainage gard guide is sponsored by inap with the support of the global alliance. Pdf acid mine or acid rock drainage jorge g ibanez. Acid rock drainage ard, also referred to as acid mine drainage amd, is the outflow of acidic water from mining operations including waste rock, tailings.
Learn about how acid can naturally be generated from rocks exposed at the earths surface. The global acid rock drainage guide pdf about 126 mb. By james tuff and brent usher, klohn crippen berger ltd, brisbane, australia. Illustrated with dozens of photographs, charts, tables and maps, the book is a compendium of 36 scientific papers written by. Sgs laboratories offer complete ard testing services that help predict acidic effl uents. The mine is located on the eastern slope of the sierra nevada at about 7,000foot 2,100 m elevation, 6 miles 9.
Acid rock drainage ard is produced by the oxidation of sulfide minerals, chiefly iron pyrite or iron. Acid mine drainage prediction compares acid rock drainage factors of waste rock piles and tailings impoundments. Acid mine drainage prevention and control options nural kuyucak golder associates ltd. Unexpected nonacid drainage from sulfidic rock waste. So, to better understand amd and ard, lets begin by defining some terms like ph the standard measure of acidity. The major areas of research on amd are prediction of amd and preventionmitigation. Pure neutral water has a ph of 7, acids have a ph less than 7 and. Research efforts have proceeded recently through the acid drainage technology initiative. Pdf acid mine drainage control and treatment researchgate. Sulfuric acid is produced when water interacts with sulfurbearing materials in the presence of oxygen and common bacteria1. Acid rock drainage ard is the natural result of oxidizing or rusting of certain types of sulfurbearing minerals in the presence of water, air and bacteria.
Acid mine drainage terms acid mine drainage amd water that is polluted from contact with mining activity acid rock drainage ard natural rock drainage that is acidic both produce acidic waters how to distinguish. Acid rock drainage analysis and testing services acid rock drainage ard also known as acid mine drainage amd describes the formation of acid when sulphidebearing mine wastes principally pyrite, but also pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite are exposed to oxidising conditions, typically in the presence of. Epa 600 modified sobek sample paste p h total s % acid. Infield geochemical testing has the power to significantly reduce the time taken for laboratory testing and can result in.
Nowadays, simple tests are widely applied and established in the mining and consulting business for ard prediction. Acid mine drainage control technologies are measures that can be undertaken where. If amd is predicted, planners must install control measures such as spoil handling plans, alkaline amendment, and covers. The gard guide was created through the contributions of many individuals and organizations. Yellow boy in a stream receiving acid drainage from surface coal mining. By far the most common mine drainage problem is that of acid mine drainage amd. Provincial policy and guidelines for mlard are available for proponents below. Aerobic bacterial pyrite oxidation and acid rock drainage. Free oxygen appeared in earths atmosphere for the first time around 2. Water flowing through active or abandoned mine sites can become polluted by the material being mined1. This research focuses on a novel method of ard treatment. Characteristics increased acidity decreased ph increased metal concentrations increased sulfate increased suspended solids all. Typically in nova scotia, ard occurs when pyrite and other sulphide minerals are exposed to water and oxygen, and react in a chemical oxidation process that releases sulphuric acid and metal oxides into watercourses downstream. The water treatmentholding ponds 1 and 2 will be excavated to a hard base free of loose material and then lined with high durability reinforced shotcrete.
Acid mine drainage research acid mine drainage amd has been the subject of intensive research since the 1960s. Acid mine drainage amd is typically characterized by low ph and high dissolved iron. Characterization of limestone reacted with acidmine drainage pdf. The formation of acid mine drainage and the contaminants associated with it have been described as the largest environmental problem facing the u. Field testing methods to improve sampling for acid rock. Acidrock drainage at skytop, centre county, pennsylvania. Acid mine drainage amd forms when sulfide minerals are exposed to oxidizing. Rocks stained by acid mine drainage on shamokin creek. Acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. The acidic water formed by this process can dissolve many metals in.
The problem of acid rock drainage acid rock drainage ard, often referred to as acid mine drainage ard, can be defined as the drainage that occurs as a result of natural oxidation of sulphide minerals contained in rock which is exposed to air and water. Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage amd, or acid rock drainage ard is the. Mine planners must predict amd potential before disturbance. The acid mine drainage may also contain high amounts of co2 which forms carbonic acid and further depresses the ph. Although ard impacts 12,000 miles of rivers in the u.
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