Acid Mine Drainage

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is essentially the flow of water polluted with metals and other substances from existing/old mining areas and is considered to be one of the sources of pollution. A wide range of technologies are available for preventing AMD generation and/or treating AMD before discharge, but there is a shift towards recovery of industrially useful materials and products from AMD. Acid Mine Drainage: From Waste to Resources explores novel methods developed for the reuse and/or recovery of industrially useful materials from AMD including discussing generation, prediction, prevention, and remediation processes. It includes legislation and policy frameworks governing AMD and its environmental/health impacts. Provides a detailed overview of the mining operations and discusses the geochemical and hydrogeological context of acid mine drainage AMD formation, prediction and impact Presents a holistic approach to AMD generation, prediction, prevention, and remediation processes Presents exclusive material on reuse, recycling, and recovery of industrially useful materials from AMD Gives a detailed overview of the legislation and policy regulatory framework governing the management of AMD Analyses the effects of AMD on the environment and health This volume is aimed at researchers and professionals in metallurgical engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and mining engineering, including policy makers.

Provides the tools needed to analyze and solve acid drainage problems Featuring contributions from leading experts in science and engineering, this book explores the complex biogeochemistry of acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. It describes how to predict, prevent, and remediate the environmental impact of acid drainage and the oxidation of sulfides, offering the latest sampling and analytical methods. Moreover, readers will discover new approaches for recovering valuable resources from acid mine drainage, including bioleaching. Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage, and Acid Sulfate Soils reviews the most current findings in the field, offering new insights into the underlying causes as well as new tools to minimize the harm of acid drainage: Part I: Causes of Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage and Sulfate Soils focuses on the biogeochemistry of acid drainage in different environments. Part II: Assessment of Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage and Sulfate Soils covers stream characterization, aquatic and biological sampling, evaluation of aquatic resources, and some unusual aspects of sulfide oxidation. Part III: Prediction and Prevention of Acid Drainage discusses acid-base accounting, kinetic testing, block modeling, petrology, and mineralogy studies. It also explains relevant policy and regulations. Part IV: Remediation of Acid Drainage, Rock Drainage and Sulfate Soils examines both passive and active cleanup methods to remediate acid drainage. Case studies from a variety of geologic settings highlight various approaches to analyzing and solving acid drainage problems. Replete with helpful appendices and an extensive list of web resources, Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage, and Acid Sulfate Soils is recommended for mining engineers and scientists, regulatory officials, environmental scientists, land developers, and students.

Acidification is a universal problem at all mining sites in which oxygenated water comes in contact with sulfide minerals or other reduced sulfur compounds. An International Workshop was held in September 1995 at the Department for Inland Water Research of the UFZ-Centre for Environmental Research in Magdeburg on the limnology of lakes created by open-cast lignite mining, emphasizing the often observed geogenic acidification after oxidation of pyrite. The volume has 25 chapters including a chapter with results of group discussions about the topics mentioned above and further problems that were identified during the meeting. The monograph gives a baseline of the state of science on the worldwide problem of geogenic acidification of lakes following human mining activities.

This SpringerBrief focuses on Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in the three basins in the Witwatersrand, South Africa. It provides a background to AMD and its impactsfrom a social science perspective.The South African government and non-governmental organizations’ response to AMD is assessed, as well the socio-economic and developmental effects of AMD. This volume, which is based on the author’s Master’s dissertation at UNISA, involves interviews with a range of experts in the field from government departments, environmental organisations (activists), the private sector (mining), tourism sector and the agricultural sector. The book discusses existing policy documents on AMD and provides recommendations in response to the many socio-economic impacts which have not been fully addressed. A literature review on the global context of AMD is provided. South Africa’s water systems are already severely harmed by climate change, different forms of pollution, and poorly managed sanitation systems. For these reasons, the country is becoming increasingly water-stressed and therefore, water will continue to become much scarcer in the future. As a result of AMD’s continued impact on South Africa’s water systems, as a technical or scientific matter as well as the policy implications for the mining sector, water security and socio-economic sustainability has become a highly contested issue.

This book focuses on the reclamation of waste storage areas, which constitute the main source of pollution during and after mine operations, especially issues with acid mine drainage and neutral contaminated drainage. It prioritizes the chemical stability of mine wastes over their physical stability.

Recent developments have provided the opportunity to recover valuable materials from AMD treatment; this is a sustainable approach that allows to reduce waste while generating incomes that balance the cost of the treatment. This book provides insights to innovative and affordable routes for AMD valorisation that can certainly motivate the mining industry to effectively manage their wastes and minimize environmental impact while generating jobs opportunities.