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Lyudmila S. Rybnikova
Lyudmila S. Rybnikova
Chief Researcher, Ph.D., Dr.Sci.
Institute of Mining of the Ural Branch of the RAS
Chief Researcher, Ph.D., Dr.Sci.
Institute of Mining of the Ural Branch of the RAS
Yekaterinburg
Russia

Articles

Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
  • Date submitted
    2024-04-11
  • Date accepted
    2024-06-03
  • Date published
    2024-07-04

Assessment of the efficiency of acid mine drainage purification (using the example of copper-pyrite mines in the Middle Urals)

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According to the results of the anti-rating of regions with extreme pollution of watercourses in the Sverdlovsk region, the largest number of polluted rivers has been recorded in recent years – more than a quarter of all high and extremely high pollution. One of the sources of pollution of natural water bodies in the Middle Urals are closed and flooded copper-pyrite mines, where acidic mine drainage continue to form and unload to the surface. Several of them have organized collection and a two-stage acidic drainage purification system, including neutralization with lime milk and settling in a clarifier pond. Despite the identical schemes, different indicators of pollutants are recorded during discharge into water bodies. The aim of the work is to evaluate the effectiveness of the applied acid mine drainage purification system and identify the parameters affecting the quality of treated mine water. Laboratory studies were performed using methods of flame emission spectrometry, flame atomic absorption, atomic absorption spectrometry, mass spectrometry with ionization in inductively coupled plasma, potentiometric, etc. It has been established that the existing mine drainage purification system at the Degtyarskii mine makes it possible to significantly reduce the concentrations of most toxic components of mine waters to almost standard values. At the Levikhinskii mine, the multiplicity of exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations reaches hundreds and thousands of times. To achieve a higher degree of purification, it is necessary that the duration of passive purification is sufficient for the reactant to interact with acidic waters. However, to ensure this possibility, it will require the creation of a cascade of ponds with an area of several thousand hectares. If the current two-stage system is quite effective for the Degtyarskii mine, then for Levikhinskii it is necessary to switch to the use of more modern systems, including three stages of purification.

How to cite: Rybnikova L.S., Rybnikov P.A., Navolokina V.Y. Assessment of the efficiency of acid mine drainage purification (using the example of copper-pyrite mines in the Middle Urals) // Journal of Mining Institute. 2024. Vol. 267. p. 388-401. EDN SBKRCK