A Survey of Experience Gained from the Treatment of Coal Mine Wastewater

Abstract

During coal mining, water resources may be polluted by acid mine drainage (AMD) if appropriate measures are not taken. AMD releases metals to the environment, which can be harmful to aquatic species and reduce biodiversity. There is a great deal of information available in the literature on the generation and treatment of AMD and this paper tries to summarize some of them in order to facilitate the choice of the most appropriate method for AMD treatment at a specific mining site. The objective of this study was to identify and describe different methods of treating polluted water from coal mining, and to discuss the choice of suitable methods at specific mining sites. Both active and passive methods of AMD treatment are discussed in order to provide a general picture of the measures that have been taken around the world by coal mining companies. From this study, we were able to conclude that in order to choose the appropriate method for a specific mining site it is necessary to analyze the chemistry of the acid water and the flow rate from that site. The cost, implementability and effectiveness of the method should also be considered. Minimizing the amount of drainage water generated is naturally the first choice of management strategy and the containment of the AMD is the second choice. The third alternative is the treatment of the wastewater.

Surface water quality assessment in the Bach Dang river basin, Vietnam: using water quality index and geographical information system methods

“…These studies indicate that corals can modulate pH levels at the interface of their tissue and skeleton to mitigate the effects of seawater acidification. In agreement with research on the treatment of polluted water from coal mining [34], the findings also emphasized the potential impact of coal mine wastewater on pH levels in the river basin.…”

Bioremediation of iron and manganese heavy metal polluted soil by mixed culture of Acetobacter tropicalis and Lactobacillus fermentum

“…There are two events in processing AMD, namely with active processing and passive processing. Active processing is more suitable for mining areas that are still active, because it requires regular addition of reactants, while passive methods are more suitable for mining areas that have stopped operating [3]. AMD processing carried out with active processing is generally carried out by chemical methods or physical methods.…”

“…The neutralization process is carried out by utilizing chemicals Ca(OH)2 (hydrated lime) or CaCO3 (calcium carbonate), NaOH (caustic soda) or Na2CO3 (soda ash) while physical methods include coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation. Processing of physical or chemical methods is an effective method for processing AMD, but this treatment requires relatively high maintenance and operational costs and is feared to cause secondary pollution [4,3] Passive treatment with bioremediation-based biology is a natural, economical, sustainable approach that can restore contaminated soil, surface water, and groundwater, with the help of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa. Passive treatment methods with bioremediation are considered environmentally friendly because they utilize naturally occurring microbes in soil and groundwater that do not pose a harmful threat to surrounding humans [5,6,7,14].…”

Acid Mine Drainage Neutralization Effort in Mud Media by<i> Lactobacillus casei</i> Bacteria and <i>Dekkera bruxellensis</i> Fungi

“…Despite its positive impact on the economy, coal mining activities are also produce solid waste, air pollutant, and water pollution. Mine Acid Drainage is one of the main environmental problems caused by mining activities (Pondja et al, 2014).…”