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"Mine drainage"
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Management and mitigation of acid mine drainage in South Africa : input for mineral beneficiation in Africa
This book ascertains that there are three schools of thought regarding the acid mine drainage (AMD) challenge in South Africa and elsewhere. The first school of thought, is that which has resigned itself to fate. The second school of thought is held by those who have hope that the problem can be managed, albeit with a considerable degree of difficulty. The third school comprises those that are energised to try (on a large scale) the various AMD remediation technologies and innovations brought to the fore by various research and development bodies. This book thus presents multifaceted potential channels for dealing with AMD challenges.
Book
Microbial diversity in extreme environments
A wide array of microorganisms, including many novel, phylogenetically deeply rooted taxa, survive and thrive in extreme environments. These unique and reduced-complexity ecosystems offer a tremendous opportunity for studying the structure, function and evolution of natural microbial communities. Marker gene surveys have resolved patterns and ecological drivers of these extremophile assemblages, revealing a vast uncultured microbial diversity and the often predominance of archaea in the most extreme conditions. New omics studies have uncovered linkages between community function and environmental variables, and have enabled discovery and genomic characterization of major new lineages that substantially expand microbial diversity and change the structure of the tree of life. These efforts have significantly advanced our understanding of the diversity, ecology and evolution of microorganisms populating Earth’s extreme environments, and have facilitated the exploration of microbiota and processes in more complex ecosystems.Microbial life can thrive in extreme environments such as terrestrial hot springs and deep sea hydrothermal vents, glaciers and permafrost, hypersaline habitats, acid mine drainage and the subsurface. In this Review, Shu and Huang explore the diversity, functions and evolution of bacteria and archaea inhabiting Earth’s major extreme environments.
Journal Article
Patterns and ecological drivers of viral communities in acid mine drainage sediments across Southern China
Recent advances in environmental genomics have provided unprecedented opportunities for the investigation of viruses in natural settings. Yet, our knowledge of viral biogeographic patterns and the corresponding drivers is still limited. Here, we perform metagenomic deep sequencing on 90 acid mine drainage (AMD) sediments sampled across Southern China and examine the biogeography of viruses in this extreme environment. The results demonstrate that prokaryotic communities dictate viral taxonomic and functional diversity, abundance and structure, whereas other factors especially latitude and mean annual temperature also impact viral populations and functions. In silico predictions highlight lineage-specific virus-host abundance ratios and richness-dependent virus-host interaction structure. Further functional analyses reveal important roles of environmental conditions and horizontal gene transfers in shaping viral auxiliary metabolic genes potentially involved in phosphorus assimilation. Our findings underscore the importance of both abiotic and biotic factors in predicting the taxonomic and functional biogeographic dynamics of viruses in the AMD sediments.
The biogeography of viral communities in extreme environments remains understudied. Here, the authors use metagenomic sequencing on 90 acid mine drainage sediments sampled across Southern China, showing the predominant effects of prokaryotic communities and the influence of environmental variables on viral taxonomy and function.
Journal Article
Sustainable gold mining wastewater treatment by sorption using low-cost materials
Sorption technique was employed to remove heavy metals from gold mining effluent using natural and plant materials for sustainability. An assessment of the effluent quality of a gold mining company in Ghana indicated that arsenic, copper and cyanide were the major pollutants in the process effluent. Arsenic and copper were successfully removed from the effluent by the studied materials. The research showed that the down-flow fixed-bed treatment configuration is an ideal system for the simultaneous removal of copper and arsenic from low concentration gold mining effluent, in addition to other heavy metals present in very low concentrations.
Book
Microalgae–bacteria biofilms: a sustainable synergistic approach in remediation of acid mine drainage
Microalgae and bacteria offer a huge potential in delving interest to study and explore various mechanisms under extreme environments. Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one such environment which is extremely acidic containing copious amounts of heavy metals and poses a major threat to the ecosystem. Despite its extreme conditions, AMD is the habitat for several microbes and their activities. The use of various chemicals in prevention of AMD formation and conventional treatment in a larger scale is not feasible under different geological conditions. It implies that microbe-mediated approach is a viable and sustainable alternative technology for AMD remediation. Microalgae in biofilms play a pivotal role in such bioremediation as they maintain mutualism with heterotrophic bacteria. Synergistic approach of using microalgae–bacteria biofilms provides supportive metabolites from algal biomass for growth of bacteria and mediates remediation of AMD. However, by virtue of their physiology and capabilities of metal removal, non-acidophilic microalgae can be acclimated for use in AMD remediation. A combination of selective acidophilic and non-acidophilic microalgae together with bacteria, all in the form of biofilms, may be very effective for bioremediation of metal-contaminated waters. The present review critically examines the nature of mutualistic interactions established between microalgae and bacteria in biofilms and their role in removal of metals from AMDs, and consequent biomass production for the yield of biofuel. Integration of microalgal–bacterial consortia in fuel cells would be an attractive emerging approach of microbial biotechnology for AMD remediation.
Journal Article
Machine learning-based prediction of toxic metals concentration in an acid mine drainage environment, northern Tunisia
In northern Tunisia, Sidi Driss sulfide ore valorization had produced a large waste amount. The long tailings exposure period and in situ minerals interactions produced an acid mine drainage (AMD) which contributed to a strong increase in the mobility and migration of huge heavy metal (HM) quantities to the surrounding soils. In this work, the soil mineral proportions, grain sizes, physicochemical properties, SO
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and S contents, and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms such as the Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were used to predict the soil HM quantities transferred from Sidi-Driss mine drainage to surrounding soils. The results showed that the HM concentrations had significantly increased with the increase of decomposition and oxidation of galena, marcasite, pyrite, and sphalerite-marcasite and Fe-oxide-hydroxides quantities and the sulfate dissolution (marked with SO
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ions increase) that produced the decreased soil pH. Compared to SVM, and ANN models outputs, the RF model that revealed higher R
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val
, RPD, RPIQ, and lower error indices had satisfactorily predicted the soil HM accumulation coming from the AMD environment.
Graphical abstract
Journal Article
Role of temperature, wind, and precipitation in heavy metal contamination at copper mines: a review
The increasing demand for minerals pressurizing the mining authorities to extract low-grade ore results in more mining waste and degradation of the environment. The main aim of review was to understand the role of climatic factors (temperature, wind, and precipitation) in dispersal and mobility of heavy metals in soil, water, and vegetation in Cu mining region. The major source of contamination in the mining sector is tailings, overburden rocks, and abandoned mines. The contaminates or fine particles of sulfide-rich mining waste follow two major pathways for the dispersal: aerial and leaching. Sulfides on exposure to oxygen and water generate acid mine drainage which results in leaching of heavy metals. The pit water of abandoned mines is also a cause of concern which contaminates the groundwater resources. Climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and wind significantly influence the paths of contaminate dispersal. In arid/semi-arid regions, high temperature forms fine-grained efflorescence salts on tailings or exposed surficial mines which are carried away by strong winds/water and contaminates the surroundings. In wet regions, the leaching of heavy metals from both tailings and overburden rocks sulfides results in environmental contamination. The application of impermeable layers is highly recommended. The climatic factors (temperature, wind, and precipitation) significantly control the dispersal and mobility of heavy metals in Cu mining region. The implementation of waste management policies and pollution control technologies is recommended after considering the climatic factors.
Journal Article
Improving the re-use potential of reactive waste rock using sieving: a laboratory geochemical study
Stockpiles containing sulfide minerals are subject to oxidation reactions when exposed to atmospheric conditions, which can result in the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD). Reactive waste rock has limited re-use potential due to the contamination risk associated with the generated drainage water. The re-use of reactive waste rock could lead to a significant reduction in the volume of waste rock as it mitigates the environmental impact of mine waste deposition. Acid mine drainage generation rate depends on sulfide weathering kinetics which are controlled by many parameters such as the mineralogy and the particle size. Fine fractions of waste rock have higher specific surface areas and degree of liberation of sulfides, resulting in greater reactivity than the coarse fractions. The objective of this research was therefore to evaluate the potential of re-use by controlling particle size using the sieving method. Two different potentially acid-generating waste rocks were divided into six fractions and subjected to both static and kinetic tests. Prediction of the geochemical behavior using static test did not consider the liberation of the minerals, and the long-term prediction was therefore overestimated. Results of the kinetic columns showed there was less oxidation of the sulfide minerals in the coarse fractions than in the fine fractions. Additionally, the distribution of sulfidic minerals and neutralizing minerals with particle size is influencing the potential of the re-use of the reactive waste rock.
Journal Article
Acid mine drainage control in mining areas: identification of groundwater recharge pathways and source reduction strategies
This study aims to address the critical challenge of the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) in coal mining areas by systematically investigating groundwater recharge pathways and developing targeted source reduction strategies. A range of methods were employed, including field investigations, surveying and mapping, in situ measurements of hydraulically conductive fracture zones (HCFZs), spatial and hydrological analyses, yielding multi-source data. Based on the comprehensive dataset obtained, a novel methodology was developed to identify surface water infiltration pathways. Downhole video monitoring results indicate that the advancements in coal mining technology have gradually increased the heights of HCFZs. Furthermore, mining-induced fissures in hard rock layers were found to extend further vertically and form dense, interconnected networks, leading to higher permeability coefficients compared to those in weak rock layers. Surface water preferentially infiltrates at intersections of HCFZs, coal seams, and topographic features. Notably, groundwater recharge in the goaves of the No. 10 coal seam primarily occurs along the paleo-valley system where natural drainage aligns with mining-induced fissures. This study provides an example of source reduction treatment for AMD in mining areas.
Journal Article