Acid Mine Drainage

Acid Mine Drainage

Ran Liu

srmwww.gov.bc.ca/clrg/britannia/background.html

What’s Acid Mine Drainage?Acid mine drainage (AMD) is polluted water discharged from (usually) abandoned mines. Metal sulfides, often pyrite, when exposed to air and water react to form a sulfuric acid solution containing dissolved metals. This mixture is known as Acid Mine Drainage and can be very harmful to aquatic life.

AMD streams in Pennsylvania and West Virginia

www.nap.edu/openbook/ 0309095247/html/128.html

• AMD is the largest source of water pollution in PA.

• 3,000 miles of streams is polluted by AMD.

• $67 million loss of fisheries/fishing.

• Over $15 billions worth of reclamation needs to be done.

From U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

My Research Interests

• How much acid can be generated under certain conditions?

• Are there any differences if different pyrite samples are used?

Pyrite Types

• Hydrothermal pyrite: form under high temperature conditions (cubic shape)

• Sedimentary pyrite: form in low temperature (<1000C) sedimentary environments (framboidal shape, like strawberry)

SedimentaryHydrothermal

0

5000

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15000

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30000

0 120 240 360 480 600 720 840 960 1080 1200 1320 1440 1560

t(min)

To

tal S

(p

pb

)

HY-SPN2A

INND-1

PAND-1

Results

Dissolution results for different pyrite samples (45~75 μm), pH=6.0,

T=250C and oxic condition.

Picture of Acid Mine Drainage

Acid Mine Drainage from Tar Creek into Lytle Creek (Oklahoma)

www.nelpi.org/ tarcreek/slides/1s.html

Picture of Acid Mine Drainage

Keystone Canyon, New York Mountains, CACentral Appalachia, WV