Acid mine drainage, mineral associations

Kimball B. A., Runkel R. L., and Walton-Day K. (2003) Use of field-scale experiments and reactive transport modelling to evaluate remediation alternatives in streams affected by acid mine drainage. In Environmental Aspects of Mine Wastes, Mineral. Assoc. Canada Short Course Series 31 (eds. J. L. Jambor, D. W. Blowes, and A. I. M. Ritchie). Mineralogical Association of Canada, Ottawa, pp. 261-282. 

One of the most serious environmental concerns associated with coal mining is the production of acid mine drainage. Coal mining exposes sulfur-bearing minerals to atmospheric oxygen and water. Pyrite is the principal source of acid production in coal spoils (Rose and Cravotta, 1998). Concerns associated with acidic coal-mine... 

Hochella M. F., Jr., Moore J. N., Golla U., and Putnis A. (1999) A TEM study of samples from acid mine drainage systems metal—mineral association with implications for transport. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 63, 3395-3406. 

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the largest environmental problems faced by mining and mineral industries globally (Akcil and Koldas 2006 Akabzaa et al. 2007). AMD is mainly associated with sulphide-rich metalliferous ore deposits, viz., copper, lead, zinc, gold, nickel, tin, and uranium mines (Naicker et al. 2003 Nieto et al. 2007) and coal mines (Bell et al. 2001 Sahoo et al. 2012), which were formed under marine conditions and contain abundant reactive framboidal pyrite (Carrucio and Fern 1974 Campbell etal. 2001). In Table 1, we present a list of well-known AMD sites worldwide. 

In addition to dilution of acid rock/mine drainage under oxidizing conditions, neutralization can occur under mildly or highly anaerobic conditions. This will create distinctive environments in which microorganisms thrive and nanoparticles form as a result of their activity. We describe two examples of such subsurface systems below. However, before turning to these topics, we note that Fe-based microbial ecosystems are not only found in association with metal sulfide deposits, but may be broadly relevant in the subsurface where Fe-rich minerals (biotite, olivine, pyroxenes, etc.) are present in reasonable abundance and dissolve, releasing aqueous ferrous iron. 

Lind, C. J. and J. D. Hem, 1993, Manganese minerals and associated fine particulates in the streambed of Pinal Creek, Arizona, U.S.A., a mining-related acid drainage problem. Applied Geochemistry 8, 67-80. 

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