Innovative Method to Deal with Municipal Waste Water Leading to Acid Mine Drainage in Mining Areas - Case Studies

Abstract

In the mines, run off water gets polluted by many reasons. During rainy season the mine water generally mix up with the sulphides, particularly iron sulphides and form a yellowish coloured waste called acid mine drainage (AMD). To deal with AMD is a great challenge as this contaminates the drinking water in different ways and as a result the miners and residents are suffering from different diseases. This AMD further permeates through the ground and pollute the runoff for a long period of time. The permeability of reactive barriers is studied. The toxic levels are tested. Current research in this field includes laboratory batch and column experiments, pilot-scale field tests and full-scale reactive barrier installations. This research has resulted in the development of contaminant removal mechanisms for a variety of inorganics found in groundwater including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Se, phosphate and Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). A brief overview of acid mine drainage, chemistry of it and some innovative methods to mitigate it so that miners and residents won’t face difficulties during rainy season due to AMD are recommended.