Reduced with Calcium Hydroxide

摘要

The coal mining industry has been an important source of employment in the Appalachian Region for many years, Unfortunately, the process of mining the coal has also been a source of pollution - it is estimated that over 13,000 miles of stream face acid mine drainage problems. Acid mine drainage is polluted water that contains high levels of iron and aluminum, with a low pH. The low acidity of the water is a byproduct of the oxidation of pyrite, the crystalline form or iron sulfide. Acid mine drainage can be easily spotted by the orange color of the water. Laws have been passed by the Department of Environmental Protection to deter any new mining from creating AMD. However, many of the older mines that are no longer in operation are not subject to these regulations, and abandoned mines with expired permits still cause a large amount of the acid mine drainage problems. It is hard to pinpoint who is in charge of absorbing the clean up costs, which makes highly effective, low cost alkalis a very important aspect of acid mine drainage remediation.