Environmental characterisation of coal mine waste rock in the field: an example from New Zealand

Hughes, Joseph B.; Craw, D.; Peake, Barrie M.; Lindsay, P.; Weber, P.A.

doi:10.1007/s00254-006-0594-5

Cited by 24 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…NAPP comprises two components, i.e., maximum potential acidity (MPA) and acid neutralization capacity (ANC) (Weber et al 2004). NAPP is determined by subtracting the estimated ANC from MPA (Hughes et al 2007). …”

Section: Sampling and Analytical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Chemical characteristics and acid drainage assessment of mine tailings from Akara Gold mine in Thailand

et al. 2009

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Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is a great concern in many abandoned mines because of its adverse effect on the environment. In mining processes, many kinds of wastes are produced. These wastes may become eventually sources of environmental degradation. The focus of this study is the geochemical characterization of the end-processed tailings generated by Akara Gold Mine, the biggest gold mine in Thailand. Tailing samples were systematically collected for analyses of chemical and mineralogical compositions. As a result, their quantitative chemical analyses are slightly different from place to place, but mineral components cannot be clearly differentiated. For instance, it may be assumed that the end-processed tailings, which were a mixture between high and low grade concentrates, would have similar mineral components. However, the little variation of chemical composition may be caused by the ore refining processes that are somehow varied in proportion to chemical additives, alkali cyanide and quick lime in particular. In addition, clay composition in ore-bearing layers may also influence alumina content of tailings, accordingly. Distribution of the tailings is not related to depth and distance of the tailing storage pond because the disposal has sped them over the pond during operation. Total heavy metals of the tailing samples were analyzed on the basis of the EPA 3052 method. Consequently, the most toxic elements (e.g., Co, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni and Zn) were found falling within the standard of Thailand Soil Quality Standards for Habitat and Agriculture. Only Mn appears to have higher content than the standard. In addition, leaching tests proved that these tailings contain low metal concentrations. As a result, at pH 2, Mn can leach out exceeding the Thailand Surface Water Quality Standard for Agricultural (Mn \1 ppm) and the Thailand Industrial Effluent Standard (\5 ppm). Although leachate at pH 4 and neutral conditions contains lower Mn than the Industrial Effluent Standard it still exceeds the surface water quality standard. Interestingly, Pb can be leached out exceeding both standards (0.2 ppm for the industrial effluent standard and 0.05 ppm for the surface water quality standard). For Ni leaching, its concentration is lower than the Industrial Effluent Standard at all pH conditions but still exceeds the Surface Water Standard at pH 2 and 4. This information should be taken into consideration for further environmental monitoring. Acid generating potential of the tailings was estimated using acid-base accounting (ABA) and net acid generation (NAG) tests. The results of ABA and NAG tests show that the tailing samples contain a high amount of sulfur. However, they also contain high acid neutralization capacity. Consequently, these tailings may not have potential to generate acid drainage; in the other words, they can be classified as a non-acid forming (NAF) material. However, since these tailings contain some heavy metals

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Section: Sampling and Analytical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All samples are alkaline with pH values ranging from 7.64 to 8.96 with an average of 7.97. Hughes et al (2007) stated that paste pH is an indicator of net-acid producing potential (NAPP). Strongly negative NAPP samples usually yield neutral paste pH whereas strongly positive NAPP samples result in acid paste pH.…”

Section: Acid-forming Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical characteristics and acid drainage assessment of mine tailings from Akara Gold mine in Thailand

et al. 2009

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“…The MAP value (in kg CaCO 3 /t) was calculated according to the formula proposed by Sobek et al (1978): MAP = S (wt%) × 31.25. This calculation assumes that all S is contained in pyrite, which is a reasonable approximation (Sobek et al 1978;Weber et al 2004Hughes et al 2007). …”

Section: Standard Acid-base Accountingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…AMD has a long history, dating back thousands of years to Phoenician times when the Iberian Pyrite Belt in Spain, from where the Rio Tinto (BRed River^) flows, was first exploited (Miller 1998;Usher and Vermeulen 2006). In the past, little attention was paid to acid generation, leading to long-term environmental problems associated with water discharges from old mine excavations and from piles of pyrite-bearing waste rocks (Hughes et al 2007). Currently, handling and long-term storage of pyrite-bearing waste rocks are important issues at mine sites, and details of waste rock stack construction are an integral part of mine design, even before mines are opened (Senguptathan 5000 km of water courses are polluted by contaminated drainage from abandoned mines in Europe (Younger et al 2002;DiLoreto et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prediction of acid mine drainage generation potential of various lithologies using static tests: Etili coal mine (NW Turkey) as a case study

Yücel

Baba

2016

Environ Monit Assess

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The Etili neighborhood in Can County (northwestern Turkey) has large reserves of coal and has been the site of many small-to medium-scale mining operations since the 1980s. Some of these have ceased working while others continue to operate. Once activities cease, the mining facilities and fields are usually abandoned without rehabilitation. The most significant environmental problem is acid mine drainage (AMD). This study was carried out to determine the acid generation potential of various lithological units in the Etili coal mine using static test methods. Seventeen samples were selected from areas with high acidic water concentrations: from different alteration zones belonging to volcanic rocks, from sedimentary rocks, and from coals and mine wastes. Static tests (paste pH, standard acid-base accounting, and net acid generation tests) were performed on these samples. The consistency of the static test results showed that oxidation of sulfide minerals, especially pyrite-which is widely found not only in the alteration zones of volcanic rocks but also in the coals and mine wastes-is the main factor controlling the generation of AMD in this mine. Lack of carbonate minerals in the region also increases the occurrence of AMD.

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“…• This method does not account for a kinetic rate (Bradham and Caruccio, 1990;Nugraha et al, 2009) • This method needs to be combined with other techniques for estimating the acid-forming potential (Hughes et al, 2007) Net Acid Generation (NAG) or net acid production test: In the NAG test, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is used to accelerate the oxidation of sulfide (Saria et al, 2006;Nugraha et al, 2009). The reaction generates both acid and acid neutralization simultaneously.…”

Section: Advantagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Static Tests and Recent Studies

Chotpantarat¹

2011

American Journal of Applied Sciences

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Problem statement: Acid mine drainage from waste rocks, tailings and other mine components, is one of the most important environmental concerns at mining sites. To attempt to determine the balance between the acid and neutralization potentials of the material and evaluate the possible acid-forming potential of mine waste, many static prediction tests have been developed to evaluate the acid-forming potentials of samples in recent years. Approach: This study attempts to highlight and summarize their essential issues and collates the mining projects that have used such static tests. Results: The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are compared to formulate and present guidelines for the appropriate selection and application of these tests. According to many studies, although several test methods have been modified in recent years, the ABA, NAG and paste pH methods are the most commonly static tests reported for initially indicating the acid-generating and neutralizing potential of samples. Conclusion/Recommendations: To provide confident acidforming predictions and consequently, the best waste management plans, at least several different techniques needs to be applied together in order to classify the acid generating potential of a sample more reliably.

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Environmental characterisation of coal mine waste rock in the field: an example from New Zealand

Cited by 24 publications

References 9 publications

Chemical characteristics and acid drainage assessment of mine tailings from Akara Gold mine in Thailand

Chemical characteristics and acid drainage assessment of mine tailings from Akara Gold mine in Thailand

Prediction of acid mine drainage generation potential of various lithologies using static tests: Etili coal mine (NW Turkey) as a case study

A Review of Static Tests and Recent Studies

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