acid mine drainage

When mine tailings, overburden and waste soils that are generated during mining and milling operations are deposited in piles on the surface, subsequent exposure to atmospheric conditions can cause the sulfide minerals in the waste piles to oxidize and weather via chemical and microbial processes and generate acid. This acid, commonly called Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) or Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) can liberate heavy metals and drastically reduce quality of the surface water or groundwater it comes in contact with. Not all mining operations produce tailings, overburden or waste piles that have sulfide minerals present and thus do not have to deal with the problems that occur with such wastes. Historically coal, base metal and precious metal mining operations that have a sulfide ore and sulfide waste piles have been impacted the most with this ongoing problem of acid mine drainage.

The unique matrices of acid mine drainage can cause many problems when trying to test the sample analytically in a laboratory. The low pH can cause very high total dissolved solids (TDS), plus the low pH can liberate heavy metal ions in very high concentrations. ACZ has twenty-two years of dealing with the unique matrices associated with acid mine drainage. In addition, ACZ can test the acid producing potential of mine tailings and mine waste rock, plus perform simulated weathering leaching columns and cells which can help predict what will happen in situ at a mine site . These tests are very valuable tools when planning a cleanup of an old historic abandoned mine site or when evaluating drill cores for a new mine or mine expansion. Please contact an ACZ Client Service Representative for more information toll free at 800-334-5493 or e-mail an ACZ representative.