China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
A Consortium of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Used for Lead, Copper, and Cadmium Bioremediation
Published in Vineet Kumar, Vinod Kumar Garg, Sunil Kumar, Jayanta Kumar Biswas, Omics for Environmental Engineering and Microbiology Systems, 2023
Julia Mariana Márquez-Reyes, Julián Gamboa-Delgado, Fatima Estefanía Soto-Zamora, Juan Antonio Vidales-Contreras, Humberto Rodríguez-Fuentes, Alejandro Isabel Luna-Maldonado, Celestino García-Gómez
AMD is generated from the oxidation of sulfide minerals and the leaching of associated metals of sulfurous rocks when exposed to air and water. The development of AMD is a time-dependent process and involves chemical and biological oxidation processes and physicochemical phenomena, including precipitation and encapsulation. The classical development of AMD is metal-rich and presents low pH values; however, the chemistry of water gradually becomes more acidic increasing metals concentrations, and it can turn over time from slightly alkaline to almost neutral, and finally acidic. These waters are always associated with a yellowish-ocher coloration of the affected river and lake beds. They contain a large number of suspended solids, total dissolved solids, radioactive nuclides, nutrients, acidity, and a high content of sulfate and dissolved metals (Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, etc.).
Legislation and Policies Governing the Management of Acid Mine Drainage
Published in Geoffrey S. Simate, Sehliselo Ndlovu, Acid Mine Drainage, 2021
As stated in Chapter 3, the formation of AMD involves complex processes including chemical, biological and electrochemical reactions that are dependent on the conditions of the environment. AMD itself is characterised by low values of pH (high acidity), high salinity, high osmotic pressure and high levels of sulphate and heavy metals (Mohan and Chander, 2001; Mohan and Chander, 2006a,b; García et al., 2013; Deloitte, 2013). AMD, by its nature, has given rise to several adverse environmental impacts including toxicity to aquatic organisms, destruction of the ecosystems, corrosion of infrastructure and tainting of water in regions where freshwater is already in short supply (Singh, 1987; Ruihua et al., 2011; Simate and Ndlovu, 2014). The adverse effects of AMD on plant life, human life and aquatic life have been reported in Chapter 5. Indeed, AMD gives rise to a range of environmental problems that will have to be addressed not only by technology, but also by socio-institutional interventions embedded in law and governance. Therefore, the subsections of this section of the chapter discuss guiding policy actions and/or legislations or laws of selected number of countries that are earmarked to help them in the mitigation of environmental impacts caused by AMD.
Using Gis to model stream water quality and acid loading in West Virginia
Published in Heping Xie, Yuehan Wang, Yaodong Jiang, Computer Applications in the Mineral Industries, 2020
Jerald J Fletcher, Qingyum Sun, Michael P. Strager
The cost for a specific AMD treatment technology includes two categories: (1) fixed costs that include equipment, design, installation and construction costs; and (2) variable costs which include operation, maintenance, renewable chemical costs, and annual management and labor. Active treatment systems correspond to relatively high variable costs. According to the investigation (Skousen et al. 1996), the cost of chemical AMD treatment in West Virginia can be approximated by: C=a*AML+bAML=0.0022QAc where C is annual cost ($/yr), a and b are constants listed in Table 2, AML is loading of AMD (ton/yr), Q is the flow rate (gal/min), and Ac is acidity (mg/L as CaCO3) (see Figure 4).
Effects of abandoned coal mine on the water quality
Published in International Journal of Coal Preparation and Utilization, 2022
Gulsen Tozsin, Ali Ihsan Arol, Sebnem Duzgun, Hilal Soydan, Abdulvahit Torun
Majority of mine waste lands contain residual sulfides whose oxidation leads to acidic effluents if the acid-producing potential is higher than the buffering capacity of rocks in these areas (Heikkinen and Raisanen 2009; Malakooti et al. 2015; Nordstrom 2011; Tozsin, Arol, and Cayci 2014). Abandoned mine lands are significant source of AMD (Parbhakar-Fox et al. 2014; Smuda et al. 2007). Effective management of AMD is an important rehabilitation challenge for abandoned mines. At these mines, when sulfide-rich materials are exposed to water and air, AMD is produced. Under these acidic conditions, dissolution of heavy metals and thus drainage of heavy metal contaminants to soil and water occurs. The drainage may continue throughout the mining activities and long after mine closure (Parbhakar-Fox et al. 2014). Therefore, special precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of acidic water to the environment and health, which requires evaluation of AMD potential in the mine environment.
Assessment of hazard on human health and aquatic life in acid mine drainage treated with novel technique
Published in Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 2019
Sukla Saha, Priti Saha, Alok Sinha
AMD pose threat to aquatic life and human health. Therefore, it is required to assess the risk of AMD even after treatment. The suitability of treated water for aquatic life is assessed by using WQI. It represents the overall water quality with a single number by aggregating the measured water quality parameters. It is calculated by Eq. (1):where qi is the sub-index that transforms different scales of data to a non-dimensional scale value and wi is the unit weightage of the ith parameter, which is inversely proportional of the recommended standard value of the parameter. These are calculated by Eqs. (2) and (3)where Vi is the measured value, Si is the recommended standard, and k is the proportionality constant. Here in this study BIS, IS: 2490 (Part –I), 1981 is used for obtaining Si of the parameters. This index used in this study reflects whether the treated water quality is suitable to discharge in inland surface water or not. A critical pollution index value of 100 was considered beyond which the water quality is unsuitable for discharge and poses threat to aquatic life.
Passive bioremediation technology incorporating lignocellulosic spent mushroom compost and limestone for metal- and sulfate-rich acid mine drainage
Published in Environmental Technology, 2017
Siti Nurjaliah Muhammad, Faradiella Mohd Kusin, Mohd Syakirin Md Zahar, Ferdaus Mohamat Yusuff, Normala Halimoon
There are various methods that can be applied in treating AMD, including active and passive treatment technologies. Common examples of passive remediation for AMD include aerobic wetlands, compost bioreactors or wetlands, permeable reactive barriers, and packed bed iron-oxidation bioreactors [5]. In this study, a treatment concept using a compost-based bioreactor was applied utilizing organic materials and limestone as treatment substrates. The concept resembles those of the reducing and alkalinity-producing system (RAPS) or successive alkalinity-producing system (SAPS) commonly used for acidic and sulfate-rich mine water [6, 7]. It is a long-term AMD treatment which offers economical and low maintenance alternatives [8], although treatment longevity issues of compost wetlands, for example, replenishment of carbon sources in such reactors, has been reported [9, 10]. Nonetheless, RAPS or SAPS has been successfully used for the treatment of acidic and sulfate-containing mine water in many applications in the UK, the USA, and Europe [6, 7]. However, none of the applications has been developed in the country, given the similar nature of contaminated mine water. In Malaysia, several cases of AMD occurrence have been reported as a result of metal mining activities such as iron ore and copper mining [11, 12]. Irrespective of the active or abandoned mines, some trace elements were found exceeding the permissible limits of the National Water Quality Standards.