Abstract
Mining is one of the oldest human activities in the world. Due to long history and changes in the economic situation there are many abandoned mine areas throughout the world. Mining is an industrial branch which is very destructive to the environment. It influences the environment in a number of ways, such as landscape conversion, changes in the water regime and a negative influence the quality of water. Waters polluted by mining wastes are called AMD (acid mine drainage). AMD, connected to lignite mining are extremely acidic and enriched with iron, sulphate and heavy metals. The pollution was caused by weathering products of different sulphides (mainly pyrite FeS2), which exposed to water and oxidant weather and release protons, sulphate, ferrous and heavy metals into the water. It threatens to the biota and even completely destroys life for a long, difficult to estimate time. The are two ways of preventing such pollution: prevention of AMD formation (activity by source) and treatment AMD already formed. The aim of treatment techniques is to obtain a longterm effect after the treatment activity has been stopped. Until now no success has been achieved. A very interesting example of the influence of lignite mining on water quality is the “anthropogenic lake district” located in Muzakowski Łuk (Western Poland). It comprises about 100 reservoirs of different origin, size and chemical composition, which have never been reclaimed. Among them there are acidic reservoirs of the meromixic type, whose chemical properties have been monitored almost since the appearance of the youngest one, i.e. 1982. On the basis of almost thirty year long observations some interesting remarks, presented below have been formulated. The most important is the difference between the chemical composition of the upper and lower layer, especially the pH value. The chapter presents short review of the occurrence of post-mining areas, the chemistry of acid mine drainage and the description of the “anthropogenic lake district“ as a case study of the influence of lignite mining on water quality.
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