Acid and Metalliferous Drainage–A Global Environmental Issue

Abstract

Acid and Metalliferous Drainage (AMD) is a critical environmental problem worldwide. It occurs when sulfide minerals, primarily pyrite, oxidise chemically or biologically to produce acidic wastewater containing elevated concentrations of sulfate and toxic elements. This short paper presents a very brief and general introduction of AMD, with a specific focus on two categories of AMD remediation options including source- and migration-control. Some most recent examples of potentially viable and economically sustainable surface passivation strategies for AMD control at-source are briefly discussed in this review. Introduction