Analysis and Feasibility of Measures to Minimize the Impact of Acid Mine Waters Discharged by Abandoned Copper-Sulphide Mines on Hydrosphere of the Tagil River

¹ Ural State Mining University, 620144, Kuibyshev st., 30, Yekaterinburg, Russia
² The Institute of Mining UB RAS, 620219, Mamin-Sibiryak st., 58, Ekaterinburg, Russia

Abstract

Mass closure of copper-sulphide mining sites both in the Sverdlovsk Region and worldwide resulted in the emergence of environmental challenges. One of such challenges is generation and discharge of acid mine waters. Manmade and natural factors have their impact on chemical composition of mine waters due to activation of sulphides oxidation processes taking place in disturbed rock mass and mines. Concentrations of components in treated mine waters are much higher than MAC (dozens and hundreds of times for iron, copper and zinc). That results in pollution of hydrosphere which goes on for decades and spreads over large distances along rivers. Quite a few reasons cause environmental degradation of hydrosphere in old industrial districts. These are baseline amounts of metals in the hydrosphere, low rates of self-rehabilitation of dead pits, high amounts of acid waters, high amounts of contaminants in mine waters, imperfection of treatment systems. Given the demand of mine waters treatment over decades, improvement of existing treatment systems and implementation of new technologies are required.