Acid mine drainage

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 to remediate the contaminated water, especially by using natural means like neutralizing the drainage's acidity and constructing wetlands; therefore preventing further damage to the environment. To understand the horrific consequences of acid mine…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

The Brukunga Mine site lies above Brukunga Township in South Australia, located 4km north of Nairre and 40km east of Adelaide, Mount Lofty Ranges. The operation of iron sulfide (pyrite and pyrrhotite) quarrying in Brukunga mine occurred between 1955 and 1972 (PIRSA, 2005). The manufacture of sulfuric acid in fertiliser industry caused the production of superphosphate fertilisers. The sponsorship from the state and federal government for the development of the mine provided employment and…

Over 180 million tons of waste has been dumped into oceans, rivers, and lakes each year from different mining companies in the country (Sampat 2012). Specifically, acid mine drainage is dumped from mining industries. Acid mine drainage affects several thousand stream kilometers around the world by contributing high loads of acidity, metals and other toxic chemicals (Smucker et al. 2011). The United States put limitations on the amount of dumping allowed per industry in lakes; however, in 2009,…

In addition, growing urban populations produced concentrations of untreated human and animal wastes and associated disease-producing organisms in water bodies. First off Humans mine many elements and use them for manufacturing and other purposes faster than these elements weather out of natural rocks, producing a variety of atmospheric and water pollutants. Fertilizers have high concentrations of soluble nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, and animal wastes contain high levels of nitrate. The…

In South Australia the Pyrite mine (iron sulfide) initially began in the mid 1950’s and the mining operations stopped and closed at the end of 1972. The production of iron sulfide was to manufacture and create fertilizers such as, superphosphate fertilizer. Superphosphate fertilizer is used in agriculture where is helps to sustain the rapid change of social economic after WWII. (http://www.minerals.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/mining/former_mines/brukunga_mine_site/brukunga_mine_site ) After the…