Resumen

ZAMORA ECHENIQUE, Gerardo  y  MEZA DUMAN, Ruth. Formation, prevention and innovation in the treatment of acid drainage in mining operations. REV. MAMYM [online]. 2022, vol.7, n.1, pp.3-20. ISSN 2519-5352.

Abstract Acid drainage in mining operations is characterized by high acidity, dissolved toxic heavy metals and sulfate, and is generated when sulfide-rich tailings are exposed to rainwater and oxygen in the air. Currently, it is one of the most important sources of pollution generated especially in mining waste storage sites (dumps and tailings dams). Several alternatives have been developed to treat these drains so that they do not have a negative impact on the quality of surface and groundwater, aquatic ecosystems and/or people's health, including neutralization-precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, membrane technology, treatment with sulfate-reducing bacteria and electrolysis. However, all the above techniques require actions that last over time and require the use of reagents, attenuation means and/or energy, as well as labor costs and/or permanent controls, in order to allow discharges of the treated effluent in compliance with increasingly strict environmental regulations. In this context, in recent times, strategies are being developed focused on the one hand, to prevent the formation of acid drainage, through a selective separation of the tailings generated in mining based on their geochemical behavior, and also, the desulfurization of tailings, before their final disposal or reprocessing; and on the other hand, to the innovative treatment of AMD inside subway mines. In this review, we present the fundamentals of acid mine drainage formation and the most recent advances in prevention techniques, environmental management of mining wastes that generate acid rock drainage, and finally, innovations in ARD/AMD treatment

Palabras clave : Acid mine drainage treatment; Acid mine drainage; Acid mine drainage; ARD; AMD; ARD; AMD.

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