1. Acid Mine Drainage Ran Liu

2. srmwww.gov.bc.ca/clrg/britannia/background.html What’s Acid Mine Drainage? Acid mine drainage (AMD) is polluted water discharged from (usually) abandoned mines. Metal sulfides, often pyrite, when exposed to air and water react to form a sulfuric acid solution containing dissolved metals. This mixture is known as Acid Mine Drainage and can be very harmful to aquatic life.

5. AMD streams in Pennsylvania and West Virginia www.nap.edu/openbook/ 0309095247/html/128.html AMD is the largest source of water pollution in PA. 3,000 miles of streams is polluted by AMD. $67 million loss of fisheries/fishing. Over $15 billions worth of reclamation needs to be done.

6. From U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

7. My Research Interests How much acid can be generated under certain conditions? Are there any differences if different pyrite samples are used?

8. Pyrite Types Hydrothermal pyrite: form under high temperature conditions (cubic shape) Sedimentary pyrite: form in low temperature (<100 0 C) sedimentary environments (framboidal shape, like strawberry) Sedimentary Hydrothermal

9. Results Dissolution results for different pyrite samples (45~75 μm), pH=6.0, T=25 0 C and oxic condition.

10. Picture of Acid Mine Drainage Acid Mine Drainage from Tar Creek into Lytle Creek (Oklahoma) www.nelpi.org/ tarcreek/slides/1s.html

11. Picture of Acid Mine Drainage Keystone Canyon, New York Mountains, CACentral Appalachia, WV