The Cause And Effects Of Acid Mine Drainage Essay -- essays research p

The Cause and Effects of deadly Mine drainpipeINTRODUCTION     Imagine going fishing on a sedate Autumn day, the trees ar both differentshades of orange, brown and carmine and the birds are singing their beautiful songs, alone their is a safe caper because when you arrive at the river all plantand animal life are gone. This is by no means a recent phenomenon. This is due(p)to the effectuate of dose shudder drainage (ARD). This is a problem that has beenoccurring since ancient times, still it was not until the 1800s when fast growingindustrialization and heavy mining that it caught alot of attention.     Acid rock drainage is the term used to describe leachate, seepage, ordrainage that has been affected by the natural oxidation of sulfur mineralscontained in rock which is exposed to air and water. The major components ofARD formation are reactive sulphide minerals, oxygen, and water. Biologicalactivity and reactions is what is resp onsible for the production of ARD. Thesereactions make low pH water that has the ability to mobilize heavy metalscontained in geological reals with which it comes in mite. "ARD causes adevastating impact on the quality of the ground or surface water it dischargesto. (Ellison & Hutchison)"ACID MINE DRAINAGE      at bottom the mining process there are s foreveral sources that cause ARD. Nomatter what activities occur, ARD usually occurs when certain conditions are met.These conditions are the factors that limit or accelerate the release of ARD.The initial release of ARD can occur anywhere from a few months to many decadesafter the sulfide containing material is confused or deposited. ARD has beenassociated with mines since mining began. When ARD occurs due to the effects ofmining it is called acid mine drainage, or AMD. The coal mining industry herein the easterly United States has been associated with a major source of AMD fordecades. When water com es in contact with pyrite in coal and the rocksurrounding it, chemical reactions mesh place which cause the water to gainacidity and to pick up iron, manganese and aluminum. Water that comes intocontact with coal has a orange-red yellow and sometimes white color. The metalsstay in the solution beneath the earth due to the lack of oxygen. When thewater comes out of the mine or the bor... ...ansform organicmaterial and nutrients.(Bastian 1993) Natural and constructed wetland have beenused to treat wastewater. The first one that was ever constructed was in 1982.There are over 200 systems in Appalachia alone.(Bastian 1993)      veritable(a) though this is safer for the ecosystem it is found that at mostsites, chemical interference is mute necessary to meet efficient standards, butthe cost of chemical treatment is greatly reduced with the initial biologicaltreatment. Most operators find that the costs of the construction of thewetlands are made up within one soci al class due to the money saved on chemicals.CONCLUSION     In conclusion, acid rock drainage is a big problem all throughout theworld due to alot of industrialization and mining. This is not only a seriousproblem around the world, it touches home here, especially here in Appalachia,but it seems to be under or getting under control with all the new regulationsand standards the EPA is setting. Low pH and a high acidity aim is harmfulto us our wildlife and our plants. With the help of more education and more search it will not have to be a problem for our future.