Assessment of Characteristics of Acid Mine Drainage Treated with Fly Ash

Abstract

Acid mine drainage (AMD) occurs naturally in abandoned coal mines, and it contains hazardous toxic elements in varying concentrations. In the present research, AMD samples collected from an abandoned mine were treated with fly ash samples from four thermal power plants in Singrauli Coalfield in the proximate area, at optimized concentrations. The AMD samples were analyzed for physicochemical parameters and metal content before and after fly ash treatment. Morphological, geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the fly ash was performed using SEM, XRF and XRD. This laboratory-scale investigation indicated that fly ash had appreciable neutralization potential, increasing AMD pH and decreasing elemental and sulfate concentrations. Therefore, fly ash may be effectively used for AMD neutralization, and its suitability for the management of coalfield AMD pits should be assessed further.

Characterization of Strength and Quality of Cemented Mine Backfill Made up of Lead-Zinc Processing Tailings

“…The bacterium thiobacillus ferrooxidans increases the initial acidification when the pH is above 4.5. Below pH 4.5, thiobacillus ferrooxidans allows acidification to continue by oxidizing Fe 2+ from pyritic materials (Shirin et al, 2021). Compounds of calcium (CaCO, CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 ), iron (FeCO 3 , Fe(OH) 3 ), and magnesium (MgCO 3 ) are key factors for neutralizing AMD from mine tailings (Elghali et al, 2021).…”

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars physiological, biochemical performance and yield parameters response to acid mine water irrigation and soil physiochemical properties

“…Soil pH has a significant impact on the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals 51 . The pH plays a significant role in plant health and growth by changing the chemistry of the soil, especially when it comes to boosting the number of nutrients that are available in the soil 52 .…”

“…Among the treatment levels, TW4 and TW5 enhanced the plant height of the two cultivars better regarding the AMD sample (TW2) and control (TW1). This may be due to lime and fly ash's beneficial benefits in reducing soil acidity, as they are well-known for their strong acid-neutralizing capabilities, which can effectively eliminate existing acid, increase biological activity, and minimize heavy metal toxicity 52 , 56 . For instance, a study conducted by 57 , applying lime to acid soil increased barley height, fresh biomass, dry biomass, grain yields, harvest index, and P-uptake.…”

The comparison of 7.5 and 15% hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agent in static tests of acid mine drainage potential in Indonesia

“…However, AMD will only form if insufficient amounts of acid neutralizing alkalinity are produced [ [6] , [7] , [8] ]. The oxidation of sulfide minerals, generally dominated by pyrite minerals, produces products such as SO 4 , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Al, Mn, and other metals that can be carried to surface water and groundwater [ 9 ]. The pH of AMD can reach as low as −3.6 [ 10 ] and associated high metal concentrations have a negative impact on aquatic life [ 11 , 12 ].…”