Acid mine drainage from inactive eastern coal operations

The most widely used technique for abatement of acid drainage from inactive surface mines and refuse disposal areas is revegetation of a soil cover applied to the waste material. Nonetheless, acid production often persists and in some cases, limits establishment of vegetation. This paper reports on several field studies intended to determine the location of pyrite oxidation zones and migration pathways of oxidation products at inactive spoil and refuse sites.Oxygen required for pyrite oxidation is believed to he provided in the gaseous state from the atmosphere. Therefore, the oxygen concentration in unsaturated mine waste should provide an estimate of the weathering tendency in the local environment. We are currently monitoring gas composition in refuse and spoil at six sites. Barren refuse appeared to be oxygenated (>2% 0₂) in a shallow zone extending less than 1 metre below the surface during most of the year. Preliminary data from coal spoil showed that oxygen can be available throughout the unsaturated thickness, even at a revegetated site. Gas composition varied vertically and laterally at a single site and also appeared to show seasonal dependence.Hydrologic factors are also important in acid production and transport. Discharge monitoring alone does not adequately describe the mass transport of acid products through the spoil. For example, at one reclaimed mine the mean sulfate content in six monitoring wells ranged from 24% to 240% of the mean concentration at the discharge point. Sources of recharge and relative flow rates determine the contribution of a particular zone to overall discharge quality.These basic studies of acid production and transport indicate some shortcomings of standard reclamation practices at certain sites. This information will he used to develop alternative abatement technology designed to mitigate acid production at the source.     

The effect of limestone treatments on the rate of acid generation from pyritic mine gangue

Surface water enters the Haile Gold Mine, Lancaster County, South Carolina by means of a small stream and is ponded behind a dam and in an abandoned pit. This water is affected by acidic drainage. In spite of the large exposures of potentially acid producing pyritic rock, the flux of acid to the water is relatively low. Nevertheless, the resulting pH values of the mine water are low (around 3.5) due to negligible buffering capacity. In view of the observed low release of acidity, the potential for acid drainage abatement by limestone ameliorants appears feasible. This study investigated the effects of limestone treatment on acid generation rates of the Haile mine pyritic rocks through a series of leaching experiments. Below a critical alkalinity threshold value, solutions of dissolved limestone were found consistently to accelerate the rate of pyrite oxidation by varying degrees. The oxidation rates were further accelerated by admixing solid limestone with the pyritic rock. However, after a period of about a month, the pyrite oxidation rate of the admixed samples declined to a level lower than that of untreated pyrite. Leachates produced by the pyrite and limestone mixtures contained little if any iron. Further, in the mixtures, an alteration of the pyrite surface was apparent. The observed behaviour of the treated pyrite appears to be related to the immersion of the pyrite grains within a high alkalinity/high pH environment. The high pH increases the rate of oxidation of ferrous iron which results in a higher concentration of ferric iron at the pyrite surface. This, in turn, increases the rate of pyrite oxidation. Above a threshold alkalinity value, the precipitation of hydrous iron oxides at the pyrite surface eventually outpaces acid generation and coats the pyrite surface, retarding the rate of pyrite oxidation.     

The effect of rehabilitation on the rate of oxidation of pyrite in a mine waste rock dump

Temperature profiles within a mine waste rock dump undergoing pyritic oxidation have been used to estimate the rate of oxidation and the sites where oxidation was occurring. The waste rock dump is located at the abandoned Rum Jungle mine site in Northern Australia and was a major source of pollution to the local river system. The dump was rehabilitated in 1983-84 by reshaping to reduce erosion and covering with clay and soil to reduce infiltration of water.Heat source distributions were derived from temperature profiles measured in the dump. The oxidation of pyritic material is the main cause of heat in the dump, hence the rate and location of oxidation can be obtained from the distribution of heat sources. A comparison of the heat source distributions before and after rehabilitation showed that rehabilitation greatly reduced or stopped the oxidation of pyrite in the dump.     

Evaluation of acid production potential of mining waste materials

The formation of acidic effluents from mining waste materials is discussed and the chemisry involved explained. The bacteriumThiobacillus ferrooxidans plays an important role in acid production due to its ability to rapidly oxidize reduced forms of iron and sulphur which can result in the generation of H₂SO₄. The sulphide mineral pyrite (FeS₂), often present in waste materials, is generally recognized as the chief source of acid mine drainage.A small-scale test procedure has been developed which rapidly evaluates a waste material's capability to produce an acidic effluent. If the material is assessed as a potential acid producer, then scale-up testing procedures are available which can be used to simulate the characteristics of the effluents produced from a commercial-size waste dump.During periods of little rainfall, localized biological activity may occur in wet areas of a waste dump, resulting in possible accumulation of soluble pollutants. The length of these dry periods greatly affects effluent characteristics during subsequent rainfalls.     

Abating whey organic load through ethanol and lactic acid production by kefir

Abstract

The extent to which selected ethanol and lactic acid production bioprocesses contribute to whey waste abatement was examined. Alcoholic fermentation of whey was carried out by kefir cells immobilized on grape stalks, delignified cellulosic materials, or brewer's spent grains. Lactic acid fermentation was also performed by free kefir cells with or without addition of brewer's spent grains as promoting material. Since whey fermentation rate is affected by the lactose uptake rate, ¹⁴C-labeled lactose was used to study the fermentation ability of kefir. The highest reductions in biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand of whey, about 68% and 52%, respectively, were achieved by lactic acid fermentation in 6 h at 37 °C and pH 5.5, in the presence of 120 g brewer's spent grains. Additionally, at the same conditions, the highest ¹⁴C-labeled lactose uptake rate by kefir and consequently the highest alcoholic fermentation rate were also recorded. However, greater reductions in biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand of whey are required prior to final disposal.     

Long-term geochemical evolution of acidic mine wastes under anaerobic conditions

A nearly 5-year anaerobic incubation experiment was conducted to observe the geochemical evolution of an acidic mine waste. Long-term storage of the mine waste under strict anaerobic conditions caused marked increase in aqueous sulfur, while aqueous iron showed no remarkable change. Co-existing oxidation and reduction of elemental sulfur appeared to play a central role in controlling the evolutionary trends of aqueous sulfur and iron. Addition of organic matter increased the aqueous Fe concentration, possibly due to enhanced iron mobilization by microbial iron reduction and increased iron solubility by forming organically complexed Fe species. Further addition of CaCO₃ resulted in immobilization of aqueous iron and sulfur due to elevated pH and gypsum formation. The chemical behaviors of environmentally significant metals were markedly affected by the added organic matter; Al, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn tended to be immobilized probably due to elevated pH and complexation with insoluble organic molecules, while As and Pb tended to be mobilized. Jarosite exhibited high stability after nearly 5 years of anaerobic incubation and even under circumneutral pH conditions. Long-term weathering of aluminosilicate through acid attack raised pH, while continuous reaction between the added CaCO₃ and mine waste-borne stored acid decreased pH.     

The microbiological control of mine waste pollution

The removal of heavy metals and neutralisation of acidity in mine waste waters by algae and bacteria are reviewed. Algal growths in artificial meander systems have been shown to remove significant quantities of heavy metals and fine particulates from mine waste waters. Bacterial systems for the oxidation of ferrous iron and the reduction of sulphate leading to neutralisation of acidity are described. The use of bacterial extracellular polymers in the removal of heavy metals from solution is discussed with reference to its application to acid mine waters. It is concluded that a combination of bacterial and algal systems with process optimisation, including nutrient amendment, may provide suitable treatment for mine waste waters. Metal-resistant bacteria may also be important in reclamation, where it is possible that they can confer some degree of tolerance on the plants used to revegetate metal-contaminated tailings dumps.     

Glutathione and cysteine biosynthesis in two varieties of Abelmoschus esculentus in response to mine spoil

The extent of accumulation of some heavy metals and glutathione and cysteine levels in the roots and aerial plant parts in two genotypically different varieties of A. esculentus (KS404 and BO2) exposed to mine spoil were investigated. Glutathione (GSH) level in both the varieties on control sites increased from basal level to 155.15 nmol g(-1) dry weight (d.wt.), almost 1.5 fold on 30 day and attained a plateau within 60 day Mine spoil exposure of both the varieties decreased glutathione 1.13 fold (89.2 nmol g(-1) dry weight) during 60 day from its basal level. GSH concentration in shoots of these varieties increased accompanying growth contrary to roots where it finally declined 2 fold. Cysteine content in control plants increased 2 fold (31.6 nmol g(-1) dry weight) on 30 day and finally declined 1.38 fold (22.35 nmol g(-1) dry weight, at 60 day). Both the varieties, when exposed to mine spoil, showed enhanced cysteine content almost 2 fold during 30 day (50.95 nmol g(-1) dry weight) but failed to increase further Forshoots in both the varieties challenged with mine spoil, cysteine maxima reached late (15.2 nmol g(-1) dry weight, at 40 day) relative to control but the levels declined subsequently (11.85 nmol g(-l) dry weight). Contrary to GSH, cysteine content in roots of both the varieties responded positively to mine spoil as apparent from the 2.23 fold increase during 30 d than basal level although it lowered to a level of 12.85 nmol g(-1) dry weight finally at 60 day. Both the varieties accumulated almost maximum level of selected cations (Fe > Mn> Zn> Cu > Ni) during 30 day, but BO2 variety was significantly superior in this regard. Invariably high accumulation of such cations in roots over shoots indicated accumulation, retention or restricted translocation from root to shoot. The metal share of the edible part was just 6% of the plant load. Thus, present work reflects a genotypic differences in metal accumulation and that affected the major non-enzymatic traits or synthesis of sulthydryl compounds as well. The present results also indicate that metal tolerance is in part associated with anti-oxidant system activity.     

Spatial economic theory of pollution control

In February 1972 the Nixon Administration proposed a tax on sulfur oxide emissions, beyond the Federal standards, of electric power plants. It was hoped that such a tax would discourage power plant locations in heavily polluted areas like urban areas. Assuming that such a tax varies over space because pollution is not invariant over space, the spatial theory of the firm is presented in this paper cast doubt on the efficacy of such a polltuion tax to achieve the desired goal of the administration. In particular it is shown that the cost-minimizing spatial firm would abate its pollution in response to a tax by either changing its location or by reducing waste through process change or by using a transportable abatement good if the tax savings due to the change in marginal abatement through location change per unit change in abatement is greater than or equal to transport rate on the abatement good. If the goal of the firm is to maximize profits, the desired outcome would follow if in addition to the fulfillment of the above condition the percentage change in the delivered price of raw material (situated at one end of the linear location space) per unit distance is greater than or equal to the percentage change in net marginal revenue, i.e., marginal revenue net of transport cost per unit of output. In simple terms, the conclusions of this paper raise doubts regarding the effectiveness of a pollution tax in curtailing pollution of a firm which is operating in a space economy. This outcome is peculiar to a spatial firm. Sufficient conditions also have been obtained when land input is included in the production function of the firm.     

The influence of acidic mine and spoil drainage on water quality in the mid-Wales area

The many abandoned base metal mines of the mid-Wales ore field are sources of extensive pollution. Some of the mineralised veins contain large amounts of pyrite and marcasite and oxidative weathering of these produces sulphuric acid resulting in very acidic mine drainage waters. In addition, the spoil tips associated with these mines can contain abundant iron sulphides. Drainage waters from these sources have pH values as low as 2.6 and are heavily contaminated with metals such as Al, Zn, Cd and Ni.Two of the main rivers of the area, the Rheidol and Ystwyth, intercept heavily contaminated acidic drainage which has a marked effect on water quality. The Rheidol contains over 100 g L^–1 Zn for 16 km downstream of the acid water influx. This level is over three times the recommended EEC limit for Zn in salmonoid waters of low hardness.     

尾矿砂颗粒表面特征与吸附作用的研究——Ⅰ.尾矿砂颗粒的表征

本文采用多种仪器和化学分析方法对酸性矿山废水污染河流中的细微尾矿砂颗粒的物理化学特性,如矿物组成、化学成份、粒径分布及比表面积等进行了表征。同时实验研究了尾矿砂颗粒表面特性,计算求解了颗粒表面双电层结构中的表面电荷密度σ_0,表面总吸附位N_s,pH_(zpc和pH_(lcp),最后,应用表面络合三层模式计算求取了尾矿砂颗粒表面固有常数K_(al)~(int),K_(a3)~(int)及表面络合稳定常数K_(Na)~(int)和K_(NO_3~-)~(int)     

Laboratory weathering studies of coal refuse

Coal refuse samples from Staunton, Illinois, were continuously leached in soxhlet extractors at 97, 65, 55 and 45°C for up to 192 hr. An identical refuse sample was leached once a week for 11 weeks using a humidity cell at approximately 25°C. Leachate collected from the soxhlet and humidity cell apparatus was analysed for pH, EC, SO₄, Fe, Mn, Al and total acidity.The data indicate that concentrations of SO₄, Fe and Mn increased rapidly as the leaching temperature in the soxhlets increased. Soxhlet extractors removed virtually all soluble Fe and Mn species within 64 hr of leaching. A comparison of the leachate characteristics of the low-temperature soxhlet and humidity cell showed that the soxhlet removed 50% more total Fe and SO₄ for the complete leaching cycle. Pyrite oxidation in the soxhlet extractors was observed near the end of the extraction sequence, but pyrite oxidation in the humidity cell was masked by the release of soluble iron sulphates. Thus, the origin of leachate acidity in the humidity cell could not be distinguished between the soluble mineral phase and the acidity resulting from the oxidation of pyritie minerals.The results of this experiment suggests that the use of the soxhlet extractor for leaching coal refuse may produce a faster and more accurate representation of water quality impacts than would the use of the humidity cell. Long-term leaching studies must be completed to further clarify the role of both these leaching methods for predicting water quality impacts.Contribution of the Land Reclamation Program at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439.     

有机污染物在土壤和地下水中迁移建模

地下水有机污染是由人类活动引起的各种物理、化学和生物等干扰过程造成有机污染物自土壤表面迁移至地下含水层的结果。为了解有机污染物如何自土表经过不饱和层（包气带）进入含水层，需要对不饱和层中所进行的各种物理、化学和生物等过程进行较准确的定量描述。本文就不饱和层和含水层中水分和有机污染物迁移建模的一些基本概念和方法进行综述，并列举了一些经典的和新颖的建模方法。     

Acid mine drainage attenuation by inhibition of pyrite bioleaching using limestone and olive pomace

The control and inhibition of pyrite bioleaching involved in the generation of acid mine drainage was studied. Inhibition of pyrite bioleaching was performed by varying the pyrite concentration in the medium (substrate inhibition) and/or by addition of limestone (inhibition by pH increase) and olive pomace (inhibition by organic compounds). Inhibition tests of pyrite bioleaching were performed according to a full factorial design with three factors (pyrite, limestone and olive pomace) taken at two levels. Preliminary pyrite bioleaching tests showed the ability of the available inoculum to oxidise the mineral. Subsequently, experimental data for total soluble iron denoted strong inhibition under all the different operating conditions of the factorial design, except when larger pyrite concentrations were used. In particular, inhibition by limestone was due to the increase in pH which negatively affects microorganisms, while inhibition by olive pomace may be related to the antioxidant properties of polyphenols. Interactions among operating conditions were specifically assessed by analysis of variance. Only limestone and/or pomace addition resulted in a significant (95%) diminution of iron extraction.     

Development of ground vegetation under exotic tree plantations on restored coal mine spoil land in a dry tropical region of India

Restoration of mine spoil is a prime need for coal industry. The study of ground cover vegetation provides essential information about the species diversity and their successional trends during the restoration. The present study was conducted to analyze the structure and biomass accumulation of ground vegetation developing in different plantation stands of an opencast coal mine spoil in a dry tropical region. Different plantation stands showed variations in species diversities. Exotic herbs were more dominant in comparison to native herbs. Pennisetum pedicillatum, an exotic herb showed maximum Importance Value Index in most of the plantation stands. Total number of species varied between 12-18 in different plantation stands. Speces richness and evenness increased with increasing age of the plantations. Variations in total biomass accumulation of ground vegetation were also significant among different plantations. These results suggest that reforestation programme with exotic species on coal mine spoil has been successful in colonization of ground vegetation under different plantations. Gravellia pteridifolia plantations showed most successful ground cover among different plantation stands.     

Pollution control and technological advance: A dynamic model of the firm

The paper extends the static comparison of effluent taxes and effluent standards to a dynamic world in which firms invest resources in improving their abatement technology as well as their production technology. The analysis shows that the two pollution control policies lead to a distinctly different allocation of research and development (R & D) funds between improvement in abatement technology and improvement in production technology. The model also shows that a temporally constant effluent tax leads to an increasing effluent discharge rate for “typical” firms. Other results concern the pattern of output growth and the rate of technological advance.     

In-situ electrochemical measurements of total concentration and speciation of heavy metals in acid mine drainage (AMD): assessment of the use of anodic stripping voltammetry

We assessed the use of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for in-situ determinations of both total concentration and speciation of dissolved heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in acid mine drainage (AMD). In the Kwangyang Au–Ag mine area of South Korea, different sites with varying water chemistry within an AMD were studied with a field portable anodic stripping voltammeter. Anodic stripping voltammetry after wet oxidation (acidification) was very sensitive enough to determine total concentration of dissolved Cd because Cd was dominantly present as ‘labile’ species, whilst the technique was not so effective for determining total Cu especially in the downstream sites from the retention pond, due to its complexation with organic matter. For dissolved Pb, the concentrations determined by ASV after wet oxidation generally agreed with those by ICP-AES. In the downstream samples (pH>5), however, ASV data after wet oxidation were lower than ICP-AES data because a significant fraction of dissolved Pb was present in those samples as ‘inert’ species associated with colloidal iron oxide particles. The determination of total dissolved Zn by ASV after wet oxidation appeared to be unsatisfactory for the samples with high Cu content, possibly due to the interference by the formation of Zn–Cu intermetallic compounds on the mercury coated electrode. In AMD samples with high dissolved iron, use of ultraviolet irradiation was not effective for determining total concentrations because humate destruction by UV irradiation possibly resulted in the removal of a part of dissolved heavy metals from waters through the precipitation of iron hydroxides.     

Size-dependent characterisation of historical gold mine wastes to examine human pathways of exposure to arsenic and other potentially toxic elements

Abandoned historical gold mining wastes often exist as geographically extensive, unremediated, and poorly contained deposits that contain elevated levels of As and other potentially toxic elements (PTEs). One of the key variables governing human exposure to PTEs in mine waste is particle size. By applying a size-resolved approach to mine waste characterisation, this study reports on the proportions of mine waste relevant to human exposure and mobility, as well as their corresponding PTE concentrations, in four distinct historical mine wastes from the gold province in Central Victoria, Australia. To the best of our knowledge, such a detailed investigation and comparison of historical mining wastes has not been conducted in this mining-affected region. Mass distribution analysis revealed notable proportions of waste material in the readily ingestible size fraction (≤250 µm; 36.1–75.6 %) and the dust size fraction (≤100 µm; 5.9–45.6 %), suggesting a high potential for human exposure and dust mobilisation. Common to all mine waste types were statistically significant inverse trends between particle size and levels of As and Zn. Enrichment of As in the finest investigated size fraction (≤53 µm) is of particular concern as these particles are highly susceptible to long-distance atmospheric transport. Human populations that reside in the prevailing wind direction from a mine waste deposit may be at risk of As exposure via inhalation and/or ingestion pathways. Enrichment of PTEs in the finer size fractions indicates that human health risk assessments based on bulk contaminant concentrations may underestimate potential exposure intensities.     

含铊硫铁矿生产硫酸过程中铊的排放特性

通过焙烧实验探讨了含铊硫铁矿生产硫酸过程中铊的排放特性.结果表明,硫铁矿焙烧过程中,铊排放与焙烧温度、停留时间、焙烧气氛、硫铁矿的粒度等因素有关.不同的温度条件下,铊排放率不同,这主要是与矿石中铊的赋存形态有关;实验条件下,550℃—950℃是Tl排放的主要阶段,Tl排放量约占硫铁矿中总Tl的33.9%.Tl的排放率随...     

城市垃圾处理与管理对策研究

对北京、天津、上海、重庆、广州等１７个城市垃圾的调查,结果表明,近１０年,上述城市垃圾总量的增长城市化关系密切,城市垃圾的组分受经济发展,生活水平、消费行为方式的影响,地域差异显著;城市垃圾处理技术欠完善,管理体制不合理,急需通过市场化动作国吧改善。