Hydrogeochemical Characteristics of Acid Mine Drainage around the Abandoned Youngdong Coal Mine in Korea

Abstract: To determine the geochemical characteristics of the Imgok creek impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) generated from the abandoned Youngdong coal mine in Korea, chemical analyses of water samples and precipitates and the geochemical modelling of the precipitates were conducted. Acid mine drainage drained from the mine adit and coal refuse piles shows a low pH, high conductivity and high concentrations of Fe, Al, SO₄ and heavy metals such as Co, Cu, Ni and Zn. In the Imgok creek, the concentrations of heavy metals and major cations besides Fe are decreased by dilution, but concentrations of Fe are decreased by the formation of precipitates as well as dilution. From the results of geochemical modelling, goethite is oversaturated, and schwertmannite is the most stable solid phase in the Imgok creek. Yellowish red Fe-precipitates collected at the Imgok creek are recognized as amorphous or poorly crystallized minerals from XRD patterns and Fe_ox/Fe_totratios, and as containing chemically bonded SO₄ and OH by an IR analysis. The mole ratios of Fe/S in these precipitates, which are determined by EPMA, are 5. 1 and 6. 1.     

煤矿酸性水中亚稳态矿物Schwertmannite的形成与转变

斯沃特曼矿是一种形成于煤矿酸性水环境中的铁的含水硫酸盐矿物,具有很高的比表面积和不稳定性,对煤矿酸性水中有害微量元素的吸附和迁移活性具有重要影响。运用扫描电镜(SEM/EDX)和粉末X射线衍射等手段,通过测定和对比,鉴别了中国的煤矿酸性矿排水渠中存在斯沃特曼矿物,在实验室中模拟酸性水环境对煤中非均质黄铁矿进行氧化反应试验,结果显示,反应产物中存在斯沃特曼矿物,并且认为随着反应时间的延长,斯沃特曼矿物逐渐向针铁矿转变。