Abstract
The uncontrolled release of acid mine drainage (AMD) is perhaps the most serious impact mining can have on the environment. The cumulative length of streams worldwide affected by acid mine drainage is not known, but over 7000 km of streams in the eastern United States are seriously affected by acid drainage from coal mines (Kim et al. 1982). In addition to low pH and high acidity, acid mine drainage from metal mines often contains dissolved heavy metals in toxic concentrations (Table 1). The processes that produce AMD are natural, but they are accelerated by mining and can produce large volumes of contaminated effluents.
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Ferguson, K.D., Erickson, P.M. (1988). Pre-Mine Prediction of Acid Mine Drainage. In: Salomons, W., Förstner, U. (eds) Environmental Management of Solid Waste. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61362-3_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61362-3_2
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