A review of acid rock drainage, seasonal flux of discharge and metal concentrations, and passive treatment system limitations

ABSTRACT

The efficacy of passive treatment systems for remediating acid rock drainage can be limited by the seasonal flux of discharge and metal concentrations that may not have been considered during treatment design. A review of passive treatment options for acid rock drainage indicates reduced efficacy due to seasonal periods of increased drainage and metal concentrations that lead to mineral precipitation, surface passivation, and flow bypass. In select cases, passive treatment systems prematurely failed due to seasonal flux or experienced substantially reduced treatment efficacy and life of the system. Complimentary systems are needed to minimise impacts from seasonal flux of drainage and metal concentrations to improve treatment efficacy and preserve the life of a multi-component system or a downstream primary system. Multi-component systems are possible with integration of existing treatment systems and design of new treatment options to tailor treatment to site specifications.

KEYWORDS:

• Acid rock drainage
• passive treatment systems
• mine drainage remediation

Acknowledgments

We thank the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement, and in particular, Cecil Slaughter, for their support and funding of this project under Applied Science Program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement's Applied Science Program, Cooperative Grant A,greement #S17AC20000.