Mine Waters: Acidic to Circmneutral

Research Article| December 01, 2011 Mine Waters: Acidic to Circmneutral D. Kirk Nordstrom D. Kirk Nordstrom *U.S. Geological Survey, 3215 Marine Street, Boulder, CO 80303, USAE-mail: dkn@usgs.gov Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information D. Kirk Nordstrom *U.S. Geological Survey, 3215 Marine Street, Boulder, CO 80303, USAE-mail: dkn@usgs.gov Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2011 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2011) 7 (6): 393–398. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.7.6.393 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation D. Kirk Nordstrom; Mine Waters: Acidic to Circmneutral. Elements 2011;; 7 (6): 393–398. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.7.6.393 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Acid mine waters, often containing toxic concentrations of Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, and Cr, can be produced from the mining of coal and metallic deposits. Values of pH for acid mine waters can range from −3.5 to 5, but even circumneutral (pH ≈ 7) mine waters can have high concentrations of As, Sb, Mo, U, and F. When mine waters are discharged into streams, lakes, and the oceans, serious degradation of water quality and injury to aquatic life can ensue, especially when tailings impoundments break suddenly. The main acid-producing process is the exposure of pyrite to air and water, which promotes oxidative dissolution, a reaction catalyzed by microbes. Current and future mining should plan for the prevention and remediation of these contaminant discharges by the application of hydrogeochemical principles and available technologies, which might include remining and recycling of waste materials. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.