Acid mine drainage

ABSTRACT: Acid mine drainage has a prominent and damaging effect on the environment. This paper outlines the environmental impact, the chemistry behind the acid generation, and methods of treatment. The objective of this paper is to educate the reader about acid mine drainage, and what can be done to reduce this pollutant. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: Acid mine drainage (AMD) often occurs at abandoned mining sites. Acid generation is the result of combining certain minerals, water, and an oxidant. Sulfide minerals are the most common producers of AMD, but mining waste rock, tailings, and other mining structures also generate AMD. AMD has a low pH and consists of large concentrations of heavy metal and other toxic elements. This pollutant affects both human health and the environment. AMD also occurs…

Daszkilewicz, 529312, 1 The earth roils in a toxic, acidic stream, and a thick sludge accumulates within it like corrosion on a battery. It chokes and kills all life that once lived in the vibrant and pristine water, eventually giving it the appearance of perpetually flowing orange paint. This isn't a scene from some horrific, imaginary planet that belongs in a nightmare or a science fiction movie, but one that has slowly invaded our very own Earth. The best way to combat acid mine drainage is…

Interpretation Acid-mine drainage occurs when sulfide-bearing waste rock and tailings come in contact with waters containing dissolved oxygen. The resulting oxidation reactions release associated metals and acidity, which may impact the biological community and significantly lower the pH of downstream waterways (Army, 2010). Released metals that are transported downstream may be removed from solution through precipitation of and sorption onto iron and manganese hydroxides. Attenuation of metals…

Since the 1970s, over 23.5 million pounds of copper and zinc has flowed out of the Iron Mountain Mine due to mining activities (Sickles 2013). Pollution from mines is disastrous because they contaminate the nearby river systems. Due the severity of the pollution at the Iron Mountain Mine, the EPA had to pass necessary measures to decrease the amount of pollution present in the surrounding water systems through the process of remediation (EPA 2015). The EPA has enacted several measures to…

Zenith is one of the largest mining and crushing equipment manufacturers in the world. It is recommended that processing infrastructure be sourced from Zenith if it economically viable. A crusher will be essential in processing the material. There are many different types of crushers available, such as; cone crusher, jaw crusher, grinding mill, ball mill and mobile crusher. It is recommended that the most economically viable crusher be assessed to determine the most appropriate processing…

Contents: Introduction-Page 2 Review of Literature- Page 3 Presenting of findings- Page 4 Processing of findings- Page 5 Conclusion- Page 8 Reference list- Page 8 Appendix-Page 9 The research that I have conducted on acid mine drainage (to be referred to as AMD throughout the contents) has been to investigate the effects of AMD on the environment with a more definite focus on the effects that AMD has on plant life. The aim of this research is to determine the impact that AMD has on the…

4.0 CHENNAI FLOOD MITIGATION MEASURES The mitigation measures have to address flood avoidance, flood tolerance, and flood resistance in an integrated way. The measures that are implemented and the new measures to be developed are meant to control causative factors like uncontrolled urban sprawl, loss of natural drainage, the inadequacy of the storm water drainage system, lack of maintenance of existing systems, increase in impervious surfaces and lack of coordination between stakeholders…

Hi, Aaron here from the Leiningen plantation in southern Brazil. We are witnessing, first hand, the world’s largest army attempt to take on 400+ men armed with farm supplies and tools, ANTS! Every few years, an ant colony will expand outside its normal exploring territory and move all the way across South America. This colony arises other colonies along the way and builds their army of mass destruction. This swarm can grow up to 2 miles wide, and 10 miles long. That’s 20 square miles!! This…

China is a country with a vast cultural and historical background. It is a country with four billon people with extreme cultural diversity, which is nourished by different philosophies of its own. These philosophies are the beginning ideas of Chinese morality and spiritual belief, which were enriched by different intellectual heroes like Confucius. Confucius was born in 551 B.C at the end of the Chou dynasty as a descendent of dispossessed noble family. “His ancestors were of…

Development of Societies: Egypt The Nile River was a significant physical geographic factor that contributed to the development of the Egyptian society. Egypt has always been predominantly a desert country. 94.5% is desert, arid and semi-arid rangelands. The other 5.5% is known now as the Nile River Basin (El-Nahrawy, 2011). Flood waters from the Nile leave silt on the ground creating fertile soil that is productive in growth of vegetation. In 5000 B.C.E. Nomadic tribes settled this “black land”…