What is acidic mine drainage?
Acid mine drainage is the formation and movement of highly acidic water rich in heavy metals. This acidic water forms through the chemical reaction of surface water (rainwater, snowmelt, pond water) and shallow subsurface water with rocks that contain sulfur-bearing minerals, resulting in sulfuric acid.
Is sulfuric acid a product of acid mine drainage?
Mine drainage is formed when pyrite (an iron sulfide) is exposed and reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. The acid runoff further dissolves heavy metals such as copper, lead, and mercury into groundwater or surface water.
Why is sulfuric acid common in mine runoff?
By far the most common mine drainage problem is that of acid mine drainage (AMD). Sulfuric acid is produced when water interacts with sulfur-bearing materials in the presence of oxygen and common bacteria.
What is acid metalliferous drainage?
Acid and metalliferous drainage, also known as Acid Mine Drainage or AMD, is the outflow of acidic and/or metalliferous water into the environment. This occurs when rock containing sulphides, such as pyrite, is exposed to water and atmospheric oxygen.
What is Sulphuric acid used for in mining?
In metal mining, sulfuric acid is used to leach copper oxide minerals. In one process, a solution of sulfuric acid laden with copper sulfate is stripped of copper via a solvent extraction and electro winning with the used sulfuric acid recycled back into the process.
What type of mining causes acid mine drainage?
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is currently the main pollutant of surface water in the mid-Atlantic region. AMD is caused when water flows over or through sulfur-bearing materials forming solutions of net acidity. AMD comes mainly from abandoned coal mines and currently active mining.
How does coal mining lead to acid mine drainage?
Acid mine drainage describes a natural process produced when the mining activities expose sulfur-bearing minerals (mostly iron sulfides) to atmospheric oxygen, moisture, and acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria, resulting in sulfuric acid, dissolved iron, and precipitation of ferric hydroxide.
What is acid mine drainage quizlet?
Acid mine drainage. Occurs when rainwater seeping through a mine or mine wastes carries sulfuric acid to nearby streams and groundwater. Contaminates water supply and destroys some forms of aquatic life. Area strip mining. Surface mining; used when terrain is flat.
What acid is used in mining?
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is a toxic chemical used in copper mining. It is also a byproduct of many kinds of mining, mixing with water and heavy metals to form acid mine drainage. Sulfuric acid smells like rotten eggs.
How Sulphuric acid is used in Australian industry?
Uses: Sulfuric Acid is most commonly used in fertilizer manufacture, but is also important in mineral processing, oil refining and wastewater processing. It has a wide range of end applications including in domestic acidic drain cleaners and in the pickling process for jewellery making.