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Ascertaining the Acid Mine Drainage Potential of a Mineral Concession in South-Western Ghana

Published: 2 April 2013
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Abstract

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) poses a myriad of problems in communities where mining of sulphide-containing ores takes place. Thus current environmental practice requires that samples be tested for their AMD potential before mining commences. In connection with this, samples from a gold concession in south-western Ghana have been investigated for AMD generation potential using Acid-Base Accounting (ABA) techniques. Mineralogical studies indicated that the ore zones were conglomerate whereas the country rock was quartzite. There were also intrusives of mafic dykes (doleritic). Quartz was the main mineral with composition above 75%, and minor minerals included feldspars, sericite, chlorite, mica and pyrite. Geochemical analysis and ABA showed that 57% of the samples did not contain sulphide minerals, 38% had sulphur content of 0.01%, and 4% had between 0.02 - 0.03% sulphur. The paste pH of 228 samples out of 230 (99.1%) was above 6.0 with an average of 7.5, implying that these are not likely to generate AMD. The Net Neutralising Potential (NNP) values of 3% of the samples were negative and the ratios of Maximum Neutralisation Potential to Acid Production Potential (NP:AP) were less than 1 confirming the possibility of AMD generation. A proactive strategy was developed to contain the possible environ-mental hazards of this 3%.

Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 1, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.20130101.15
Page(s) 34-39
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Acid Mine Drainage, Acid Base Accounting, Neutralisation Potential, Acidity Status

References
[1] Johnson, D. B. and Hallberg, K. B. (2005). Acid Mine Drainage Remediation Options: A Review. Science of the Total Environment, 338(1–2), pp. 3-14.
[2] Kleinmann, R. L. P. (Ed) (2000). Prediction of Water Quality at Surface Coal Mines. The National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 241 pp.
[3] Akcil, A. and Koldas, S. (2006). Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): causes, treatment and case studies. Journal of Cleaner Pro-duction, 14(12-13), pp. 1139-1145.
[4] Tabak, H. H., Scharp, R., Burckle, J., Kawahara, F. K. and Govind, R. (2003). Advances in Biotreatment of Acid Mine Drainage and Biorecovery of Metals: 1. Metal Precipitation for Recovery and Recycle, Biodegradation 14, pp. 423-436.
[5] Yanful, E. K., Simms, P. H. and Payant, S. C. (1999). Soil Covers for Controlling Acid Generation in Mine Tailings: A Laboratory Evaluation of the Physics and Geochemistry. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 114, pp. 347–375.
[6] Anon (2002). ARD Test Handbook, Environmental Geo-chemistry International Pty Ltd and Amira International Ltd, Ian Wark Research Institute. Project P387A – Prediction and Kinetic Control of Acid Mine Drainage, pp. A1-G2.
[7] Anon (1994a). Ghana Mining and Environmental Guidelines, Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Council, Accra, Ghana, 41 pp.
[8] Kesse, G. O. (1985). The Minerals and Rock Resources of Ghana, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 610 pp.
[9] Sobek, A., W. Schuller, J. R. Freeman, and Smith, R. M. (1978). Field and Laboratory Methods Applicable to Over-burdens and Minesoils. Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio. EPA-600/2-78-054, 203 p.
[10] Ferguson, K. D. and Morin, K. A. (1991). The Prediction of Acid Rock Drainage – Lessons from the Database. Pro-ceedings of the Second International Conference on the Ab-atement of Acidic Drainage, Montreal, Quebec, September 16-18, Volume 3, p. 85-106.
[11] Anon (1994b). Acid Mine Drainage Prediction. US Envi-ronmental Protection Agency, Self Published, 48 pp.
[12] Brady, K. B. C. and Hornberger, R. H. (1990). The Prediction of Mine Drainage Quality in Pennsylvania. Water Pollution Control Association Pa. Magazine, v. 23, No. 5, pp. 8-15.
[13] Lapakko, K. (2002). Metal Mine Rock and Waste Characte-risation Tools: An Overview, Minerals Metals and Sustainable Development, No. 67, 31 pp
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  • APA Style

    G. Ofori-Sarpong, K. Osei, R. K. Amankwah. (2013). Ascertaining the Acid Mine Drainage Potential of a Mineral Concession in South-Western Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 1(1), 34-39. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20130101.15

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    ACS Style

    G. Ofori-Sarpong; K. Osei; R. K. Amankwah. Ascertaining the Acid Mine Drainage Potential of a Mineral Concession in South-Western Ghana. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2013, 1(1), 34-39. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20130101.15

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    AMA Style

    G. Ofori-Sarpong, K. Osei, R. K. Amankwah. Ascertaining the Acid Mine Drainage Potential of a Mineral Concession in South-Western Ghana. Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2013;1(1):34-39. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20130101.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.20130101.15,
      author = {G. Ofori-Sarpong and K. Osei and R. K. Amankwah},
      title = {Ascertaining the Acid Mine Drainage Potential of a Mineral Concession in South-Western Ghana},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {1},
      number = {1},
      pages = {34-39},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.20130101.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20130101.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.20130101.15},
      abstract = {Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) poses a myriad of problems in communities where mining of sulphide-containing ores takes place. Thus current environmental practice requires that samples be tested for their AMD potential before mining commences. In connection with this, samples from a gold concession in south-western Ghana have been investigated for AMD generation potential using Acid-Base Accounting (ABA) techniques. Mineralogical studies indicated that the ore zones were conglomerate whereas the country rock was quartzite. There were also intrusives of mafic dykes (doleritic). Quartz was the main mineral with composition above 75%, and minor minerals included feldspars, sericite, chlorite, mica and pyrite. Geochemical analysis and ABA showed that 57% of the samples did not contain sulphide minerals, 38% had sulphur content of 0.01%, and 4% had between 0.02 - 0.03% sulphur. The paste pH of 228 samples out of 230 (99.1%) was above 6.0 with an average of 7.5, implying that these are not likely to generate AMD. The Net Neutralising Potential (NNP) values of 3% of the samples were negative and the ratios of Maximum Neutralisation Potential to Acid Production Potential (NP:AP) were less than 1 confirming the possibility of AMD generation. A proactive strategy was developed to contain the possible environ-mental hazards of this 3%.},
     year = {2013}
    }
    

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    AU  - G. Ofori-Sarpong
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    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
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    AB  - Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) poses a myriad of problems in communities where mining of sulphide-containing ores takes place. Thus current environmental practice requires that samples be tested for their AMD potential before mining commences. In connection with this, samples from a gold concession in south-western Ghana have been investigated for AMD generation potential using Acid-Base Accounting (ABA) techniques. Mineralogical studies indicated that the ore zones were conglomerate whereas the country rock was quartzite. There were also intrusives of mafic dykes (doleritic). Quartz was the main mineral with composition above 75%, and minor minerals included feldspars, sericite, chlorite, mica and pyrite. Geochemical analysis and ABA showed that 57% of the samples did not contain sulphide minerals, 38% had sulphur content of 0.01%, and 4% had between 0.02 - 0.03% sulphur. The paste pH of 228 samples out of 230 (99.1%) was above 6.0 with an average of 7.5, implying that these are not likely to generate AMD. The Net Neutralising Potential (NNP) values of 3% of the samples were negative and the ratios of Maximum Neutralisation Potential to Acid Production Potential (NP:AP) were less than 1 confirming the possibility of AMD generation. A proactive strategy was developed to contain the possible environ-mental hazards of this 3%.
    VL  - 1
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    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • University of Mines and Technology, P O Box 237, Tarkwa, Ghana

  • University of Mines and Technology, P O Box 237, Tarkwa, Ghana

  • University of Mines and Technology, P O Box 237, Tarkwa, Ghana

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