THE PROCESS OF ACID MINE

DRAINAGE REMEDIATION USING

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
An Informative Description for Impacted Residents
of Acid Mine Drainage in Pennsylvania Appalachia

Written by Riley Wian

ENGL202C
Audience and Scope
The purpose of this technical document is to describe how acid • Acid mine drainage – the
mine drainage is remediated using biological techniques in the acidic water that forms
Pennsylvania Appalachia region after a mine is abandoned. when surface water and air
Attention will be given to each step of the process to remove are exposed to iron sulfide,
toxic metals from water. a solid waste byproduct of
Those who live in a Pennsylvania community that has a history of coal mining.
mining activity are impacted by the aftermath of the mining • Remediate – to restore by
industry. The purpose of this document is to provide more reversing or stopping
information to those whose community has been affected by environmental damages.
mining, by describing what a biological remediation site contains,
and how it operates after a mining facility is abandoned. These
remediation sites will be a part of the community for decades, so
it is necessary for the public to obtain a general understanding of
its operation.
Figure 1: The Appalachia Region
Introduction
Appalachia refers to the portion of the eastern United States that
resides in the Appalachian Mountains that exhibits long-term
poverty trends and stretches from Southern New York to northern
Alabama and Georgia (Figure 1). Historically, Appalachia has
been a center for fossil fuel production and carbon extraction
from the coal industry and more recently oil and natural gas
extraction. After the Civil War ended, the United States entered
an industrialization period that desperately needed coal. The
demand for coal increased exponentially with the introduction of
World War I, leading to an overexpansion of the industry in the
early part of the twentieth century. Thousands of coal mines went
bankrupt, leaving the environmental damages in their wake.
Today, over twelve thousand miles of stream have been affected
by acid mine drainage in the United States, with most of these
streams located in Appalachia. Pennsylvania alone contains over
5,500 miles of stream impacted by acid mine drainage. • Iron sulfides – a family of
Acid mine drainage is produced when iron sulfides exposed by chemical compounds with
mining activity react with the water and air to oxidize, creating the chemical formula FeS.
sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. This results in high Pyrite is the most common
concentrations of toxic, heavy metals such as copper, lead, and iron sulfide in mining.
mercury due to the high acidity of the water. Water that falls • Sulfuric acid – a strong
below a pH value of 7 is considered acidic. Water samples that acid that is an oily, dense,
are acidic erode rocks and other materials more quickly. The U.S. corrosive liquid.
Geological Survey (USGS) has recorded pH levels as low as 2.5-

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4 in streams impacted by acid mine drainage. Heavy metals • Biodegrade – to be
produced by acid mine drainage do not biodegrade, which allows decomposed by bacteria or
for metals to accumulate in the food chain. Low pH levels
other living organisms.
contaminate drinking water, pollute the soil, and is toxic to
aquatic life. • Chemical mechanisms – a
remediation technique that
Preventing the formation and migration of acid mine drainage relies on man-made
from the source is the most preferable option; however, this is not chemicals.
always feasible. This makes it imperative to collect, treat, and
• Biological mechanisms – a
remediate acid mine drainage. Remediation techniques are
remediation technique that
divided into chemical or biological mechanisms that neutralize
acid mine drainage and remove metals from solution. These relies on natural processes
systems are classified as active or passive, depending on the and reactions.
amount of resource input needed. Most biological remediation • Active systems – a system
sites are passive systems, as it is more cost-effective than active that requires a continuous
systems. Once the most efficient biological passive system is input of resources to sustain
identified for a particular site, construction may begin. the process.
• Passive systems – a system
that requires relatively little
The Steps of a Biological Acid Mine Drainage resource input once in
Remediation Site operation.
The most common passive biological remediation site is a • Settling – the process by
constructed (aerobic) wetland. Deer Creek in Gerard Township, which particulates move
Pennsylvania is a passive acid mine drainage treatment facility towards the bottom of a
utilizing an artificial wetland near the origin of an acidic liquid and form a sediment.
discharge from an abandoned underground mine. The treatment
• Percolation – the
process involves four steps:
movement and filtering of
1.) Settling fluids through porous
2.) Percolation through organic-rich compost to remove materials.
dissolved oxygen and reduce ferric iron • Alkalinity – the capacity of
3.) Percolation through crushed limestone to neutralize acidity water to resist acidification.
and add alkalinity
• Aeration – the process by
4.) Aeration in ponds and wetlands to precipitate iron, and
which air is circulated
more settling
through, mixed with or
Step 1: Settling dissolved in a liquid or
The settling of iron and aluminum precipitates helps to remove other substances that act as
metals and toxic trace elements from the aqueous phase towards a fluid.
a solid phase. The goal of the first settling pond is to reach a pH • Precipitates – the
value of 4.5 or higher, which is where aluminum precipitates from
formation of a solid from a
solution to a solid. Acid mine drainage is mixed with stream water
solution.
near a pH of 7.0 to raise the pH and allow a portion of toxic trace
elements and metals to form from their aqueous phase. Raising • Aqueous phase – the phase
the pH of the acid mine drainage allows for the next remediation of a solution in which water
pond to significantly reduce toxic trace elements from the water is the solvent.
and clean the water.

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Step 2: Percolation Through Organic-Rich Materials • Biomass – a renewable
The second pond within the remediation site works to percolate organic material that comes
acid mine drainage through organic-rich compost to remove
from plants and animals.
dissolve oxygen and reduce the iron content. This step has an
important impact on the migration and transformation of other • Substrate – a material
pollutants such as phosphorous, arsenic, and other organic which provides the surface
contaminants. This is usually achieved through the use of organic on which something is
carbon from sewage and wetland plant biomass. This organic deposited
substrate is 2- to 3-feet thick. Acid mine drainage flows overtop
of this substrate within the pond, with a typical depth of 1 foot.
The organic carbon reacts with the pollutants in the acid mine Figure 2: Constructed Wetland at an Acid Mine
drainage to reduce oxygen levels in water and allow more iron to Drainage Remediation Site.
solidify out of solution. Recent studies have found that wetland
plants such as cattails can stimulate the microbial processes. After
the water is low in dissolved oxygen and experiences a reduction
in iron content, it is ready to receive the next step of treatment in
the third pond.

Step 3: Percolation Through Crushed Limestone

The third pond runs the partially treated acid mine drainage
through crushed limestone or a limestone bed to neutralize the
acidity of the solution and increase alkalinity. Limestone is a
general term that includes carbonate rocks and fossils composed of
calcium carbonate. The crystal structure of limestone plays a large • Neutralization – occurs
role in its neutralization ability. When limestone reacts with the when an acid donates its
remaining ferrous iron in acid mine drainage, the mineral’s acidity proton to a base.
is neutralized and the pH increases (no greater than 6.5). The
reaction also increases the alkalinity of the solution through the
addition of calcium and magnesium ions. This prevents the Figure 3: An open limestone channel at a
partially treated acid mine drainage from returning to an acidic remediation project
level.

Step 4: Aeration and Final Settling

The fourth and final pond at the remediation site aerates the
solution and allows for the final precipitation of metals from the
acid mine drainage. The water is aerated and receives oxygen from
underwater plants that produce oxygen or an in-line pump that
mixes air into the water through a pipeline. The addition of oxygen
into this pond oxidizes the remaining iron and allows it to
precipitate, resulting in a water solution that is at a normal pH,
conductivity, alkalinity, and acidity.

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Figure 4: Deer Creek Acid Mine Drainage Abatement Project Schematic

Benefits of Treating Acid Mine Drainage

Acid mine drainage causes significant damages to the environment and the local water supply.
High levels of metals and acidity in the water makes water impacted by acid mine drainage
unsuitable for drinking, as well as agricultural and industrial uses. Acid mine drainage also kills
fish, insects, and vegetation within a river shed. Additionally, the orange color of the water is
unattractive, reducing the visual appeal of an area. All these factors impact the local economy.
Treating acid mine drainage significantly benefits the biodiversity, health, and economy of an
impacted region. Higher-quality water allows for more fragile species to return to the region,
such as trout. An increase in biodiversity is also appealing for recreational activities such as
fishing and boating. These activities attract commerce to the region and boost the local economy.
Remediation also increases the visual appeal of an area, which can increase the value of homes
and businesses within the area. Treating acid mine drainage allows for a clean water source for
drinking, as well as agriculture and other industrial activities. The benefits of treating acid mine
drainage greatly outweigh the costs for creating a remediation site.

Conclusion
The goal of acid mine drainage remediation sites is to separate unwanted metals and toxins from
water. This involves four main ponds, each with a crucial step to removing toxins using passive
biological systems. Once iron and other toxins are removed from the water and the process is
complete, the result is clean water that is ready for use in agricultural and industrial purposes.

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Once a passive remediation site is built, it can operate for a few years with little to no
maintenance. Certain systems may need to be replaced over the years, but overall, there is little
upkeep involved in passive acid mine drainage sites. Remediation sites can treat acid mine
drainage for decades, allowing for whole waterways to be treated in the Appalachia region. It is
important for members of these communities to understand the process of a remediation site for
acid mine drainage, as the impact will be important to homes, businesses, and wildlife in the
surrounding area.

References
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