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Engineering Geology

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Chapter 4<br />

Table 4.7. Composition of acid mine water from a South African coalfield<br />

Determinant Sample Sample Sample Sample<br />

(mg l -1 , where appropriate) 1 2 3 4<br />

TDS 4844 2968 3202 2490<br />

Suspended solids 33 10.4 12 10.0<br />

EC (mS m -1 ) 471 430 443 377<br />

pH value 1.9 2.4 2.95 2.9<br />

Turbidity as NTU 5.5 0.6 2.0 0.9<br />

Nitrate NO 3 as N 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1<br />

Chlorides as CI 310 431 406 324<br />

Fluoride as F 0.6 0.5 0.33 0.6<br />

Sulphate as SO 4 3250 1610 1730 1256<br />

Total hardness<br />

—<br />

484 411 576<br />

Calcium hardness as CaCO 3<br />

—<br />

285 310 327<br />

Calcium Ca 173.8 114.0 124 131<br />

Magnesium Mg 89.4 48.4 49.5 60.5<br />

Sodium Na 247.0 326.0 311 278<br />

Potassium K 7.3 9.4 8.9 6.4<br />

Iron Fe 248.3 128 140 87<br />

Manganese Mn 17.9 15 9.9 13.4<br />

Aluminium Al<br />

—<br />

124<br />

—<br />

112<br />

shallow aquifers have been adversely affected by the intensive use of irrigation water. They<br />

noted that there is a tendency for the salinity of the groundwater in the aquifer to increase<br />

downstream, the TDS increasing from between 1000 and 3500 mg l -1 to between 3000<br />

and 6000 mg l -1 .<br />

Acid mine drainage is produced when natural oxidation of sulphide minerals, notably pyrite,<br />

occurs in mine rock or waste that are exposed to air and water (Bullock and Bell, 1995). This<br />

is a consequence of the oxidation of sulphur in the mineral concerned to a higher oxidation<br />

state, with the formation of sulphuric acid and sulphate, and if aqueous iron is present and<br />

unstable, to the precipitation of ferric iron with iron hydroxide. Acid mine drainage, however,<br />

does not occur if the sulphide minerals are nonreactive or if the host rock contains sufficient<br />

alkaline material to neutralize the acidity. Acid generation can lead to elevated levels of heavy<br />

metals and sulphate in the affected water that obviously have a detrimental effect on its<br />

quality (Table 4.7).<br />

Acid mine drainage from underground mines generally appears at the surface as point<br />

discharges (Bell et al., 2002). Acid mine drainage also can develop from surface sources such<br />

as mine waste. A major source of acid mine drainage may result from the closure of a mine.<br />

197

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