Abstract
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is the most severe environmental problem facing the mining sector in the current scenario because of low pH and high pollutants concentration. AMD contains a high amount of sulphate viz. pyrite, FeS2, and to a lesser extent pyrrhotite and heavy metal ions, contaminate both surface water and groundwater. To treat AMD, extensive research projects have been initiated by governments, the mining industry, universities, and research establishments. The environmental impact of AMD can be minimized at these basic levels; prevention should be taken to control the infiltration of groundwater to the pollution site and control the acid-generating process. There are some conventional active methods to treat AMD, such as compost reactor and packed bed iron-oxidation bioreactors; however, these methods have associated with costly material and high maintenance cost, which increases the cost of the entire treatment. In an alternative, the use of low-cost materials such as fly ash, metallurgical slag, zero-valent iron (ZVI), cement kiln dust (CKD), and organic waste such as peat humic agent (PHA), rice husk, and eggshell can be a valuable measure for economic viability to treat the metal-rich wastewater.
Highlights
The extensive mining throughout the globe leads to generate a huge quantity of sulfides caused by weathering process (O2, moisture, and microbes), which promotes an acidic environment
For a better characterization of AMD as well as the properties of waste which are affected by AMD is summarized into five common features listed as follows [3]
Arsenate does not form in such a higher concentration as that of sulphate but this metal has a different area of concern due to its toxic nature [7]
Summary
The extensive mining throughout the globe leads to generate a huge quantity of sulfides caused by weathering process (O2, moisture, and microbes), which promotes an acidic environment. In-stream water, it turns out to be a transport media for reaction products [1] The use of CaCO3 is more than other neutralizing material due to its cost-effectiveness It produces less amount of sludge but the reaction period is comparably high than other chemical reagents. Some other industrial outcomes like fly ash, steel slag, cement kiln dust, and bayer residue have possible calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide alternatives to treat AMD. The availability of these materials is generally high, which offers costeffective neutralizing materials for the treatment process
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