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Pre-Mine Prediction of Acid Mine Drainage

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Environmental Management of Solid Waste

Abstract

The uncontrolled release of acid mine drainage (AMD) is perhaps the most serious impact mining can have on the environment. The cumulative length of streams worldwide affected by acid mine drainage is not known, but over 7000 km of streams in the eastern United States are seriously affected by acid drainage from coal mines (Kim et al. 1982). In addition to low pH and high acidity, acid mine drainage from metal mines often contains dissolved heavy metals in toxic concentrations (Table 1). The processes that produce AMD are natural, but they are accelerated by mining and can produce large volumes of contaminated effluents.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Protection, Kapilano 100, V7T 1A2, Park Royal, West Vancouver, BC, Canada

    K. D. Ferguson

  2. US Bureau of Mines, Cochrans Mill Road, 15236, P.O. Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    P. M. Erickson

Authors
  1. K. D. Ferguson
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  2. P. M. Erickson
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Institute for Soil Fertility, P.O. Box 30003, NL-9750, Haren(Gr), RA, The Netherlands

    Wim Salomons

  2. Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg, Arbeitsbereich Umweltschutztechnik, Harburger Schloßstraße 20, Postfach 90 14 03, D-2100, Hamburg 90, Germany

    Ulrich Förstner

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Ferguson, K.D., Erickson, P.M. (1988). Pre-Mine Prediction of Acid Mine Drainage. In: Salomons, W., Förstner, U. (eds) Environmental Management of Solid Waste. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61362-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61362-3_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64809-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-61362-3

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