Abstract: For the treatment of contaminated mine waters reliable treatment methods with low investment and operational costs are essential. Therefore, passive treatment systems recently have been installed in Great Britain and in Germany (e.g. anoxic limestone drains, constructed wetlands, reactive barriers, roughing filters) and during the last eight years such systems successfully treated mine waters, using up to 6 ha of space. In some cases with highly contaminated mine water, a combination of active and passive systems should be applied, as in any case the water quality has to reach the limits. Because not all the processes of passive treatment systems are understood in detail, current research projects (e.g. EU-project PIRAMID) were established to clarify open questions.

Abstract: Nowhere is the conflict between economic progress and environmental quality more apparent than in the mineral extraction industries. The latter half of the 20th century saw major advances in the reclamation technologies. However, mine water pollution problems have not been addressed. In many cases, polluted mine water long outlives the life of the mining operation. As the true cost of long-term water treatment responsibilities has become apparent, interest has grown in the technologies that would decrease the production of contaminated water and make its treatment less costly. This is the first book to address the mine water issue head-on. The authors explain the complexities of mine water pollution by reviewing the hydrogeological context of its formation, and provide an up-to-date presentation of prevention and treatment technologies. The book will be a valuable reference for all professionals who encounter polluted mine water on a regular or occasional basis. Foreword; R. Fernández Rubio. Preface. 1. Mining and the Water Environment. 2. Mine Water Chemistry. 3. Mine Water Hydrology. 4. Active Treatment of Polluted Mine Waters. 5. Passive Treatment of Polluted Mine Waters

Abstract: Pollution by mine drainage is a major problem in many parts of the world. The most frequent contaminants are Fe, Mn, Al and SO (sub 4) with locally important contributions by other metals/metalloids including (in order of decreasing frequency) Zn, Cu, As, Ni, Cd and Pb. Remedial options for such polluted drainage include monitored natural attenuation, physical intervention to minimise pollutant release, and active and passive water treatment technologies. Based on the assessment of the key hydrological and geochemical attributes of mine water discharges, a rational decision-making framework has now been developed for deciding which (or which combinations) of these options to implement in a specific case. Five case studies illustrate the application of this decision-making process in practice: Wheal Jane and South Crofty (Cornwall), Quaking Houses (Co Durham), Hlobane Colliery (South Africa) and Milluni Tin Mine (Bolivia). In many cases, particularly where the socio-environmental stakes are particularly high, the economic, political and ecological issues will prove even more challenging than the technical difficulties involved in implementing remedial interventions which will be robust in the long term. Hence truly “holistic” mine water remediation is a multi-dimensional business, involving teamwork by a range of geoscientific, hydroecological and socio-economic specialists.