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Pyrite Chemistry: The Key for Abatement of Acid Mine Drainage

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Acidic Mining Lakes

Part of the book series: Environmental Science ((ENVSCIENCE))

Abstract

Pyrite oxidation produces extremely acidic drainages (as low as pH 2) enriched with Fe, Mn, Al, SO4, and often heavy metals such as Pb, Hg, Cd, etc. (Table 10.1). Pyrite oxidation takes place when the mineral is exposed to air and water. The process is complex because it involves chemical, biological, and electrochemical reactions, and varies with environmental conditions. Factors such as pH, pO2, specific surface and morphology of pyrite, presence or absence of bacteria and/or clay minerals, as well as hydrological factors determine the rate of oxidation. There is, therefore, no single rate law to describe kinetics of pyrite oxidation for all cases (Evangelou 1995b; Evangelou and Zhang 1995).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, N-122 Agricultural Science Center North, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40546-0091, USA

    V. P. Evangelou

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  1. V. P. Evangelou
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Inland Water Research, UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle plc, Am Biederitzer Busch 12, D-39114, Magdeburg, Germany

    Walter Geller  & Helmut Klapper  & 

  2. GKSS Research Centre, Max-Planck-Strasse, D-21502, Geesthacht, Germany

    Wim Salomons

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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Evangelou, V.P. (1998). Pyrite Chemistry: The Key for Abatement of Acid Mine Drainage. In: Geller, W., Klapper, H., Salomons, W. (eds) Acidic Mining Lakes. Environmental Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71954-7_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71954-7_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-71956-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-71954-7

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