Ecologically Engineered Strategies For The Management Of Acid Mine Drainage: An Overview

Abstract

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental pollution problem of the mining industry around the world. The treatment of AMD is one of the major concerns for the mining industry. Ironically, even under the best reclamation scenario it requires long-term collection and treatment. Active treatment systems commonly used by the Indian mining industry at active mine sites require continual addition of alkaline chemicals like lime, hydrated lime, caustic soda, soda ash, etc. these chemicals besides being very expensive, also, lead to production of voluminous low-density sludge. The disposal of this sludge is again an environmental problem to be dealt with. These active treatment processes are often expensive both in terms of capital and operating costs. For the last three decades researchers, throughout the world, have been expressing their opinion that a better solution to long-term treatment of AMD lies in the use of other technology with the application of integrated biological processes in engineered ecologies, which are passive technologies. One of the highly effective passive technologies for ecological engineering approach is construction of wetland to effectively treat AMD. The problem of AMD exists at number of sites in India. The main aim of the present manuscript is to devise a new treatment technology for AMD in India. The need for this technology is because the current approaches are too expensive and impractical at the sources of AMD at abandoned mines contaminated water continues to be discharged day after day without any treatment.