Publication details
An overview of occurrence and evolution of acid mine drainage in the Slovak Republic
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2007 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | 22nd Annual International Conference on Contaminated Soils, Sediments and Water 2006 |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Geochemistry |
| Keywords | Acid mine drainage; Geochemical modeling; Monitoring; Trends |
| Description | Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the worst environmental problems associated with mining activity. Both at the beginning and in the middle of the 20th C., the attenuation of mining activity in the Slovak Republic gave rise to the extensive closing of deposits using wet conservation i.e. flooding. The negative results of AMD activity can be observed mainly at those locations where sulphide ores and raw materials containing sulphides were mined. At the deposits in Roznava, Pezinok and Rudnany, the surrounding carbonate system partly buffers the AMD evolution. During the last decade various remediation methods were applied at the Sobov location aimed at reducing the environmental impact of AMD but without marked success. From the point of occurrence and generation of AMD, the deposits at Smolnik represent the classic example. The whole area of deposit is markedly affected by AMD activity. The mine waters have pH 3.8, high concentrations of sulphates, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Al, and discharge straight into the Smolnik river. In order to propose an effective and economic method for the prevention of the negative influence of AMD at this location, it was necessary to understand the reasons for changes in the evolution of the mine water composition and provide a real estimation of their long-time evolution. The article presents the results of the monitoring of AMD quality at Smolnik from 1986 to 2005. In order to better understand the processes obtaining at the site, a geochemical modeling of AMD quality evolution during its gradual ascent to the surface was created. |
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