Techniques to correct and prevent acid mine drainageA review

  1. Santiago Pozo-Antonio 1
  2. Iván Puente-Luna 1
  3. Susana Lagüela-López 1
  4. María Veiga-Ríos 1
  1. 1 Departamento de Ingeniería de los Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Vigo, España.
Revista:
DYNA: revista de la Facultad de Minas. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Sede Medellín

ISSN: 0012-7353

Año de publicación: 2014

Volumen: 81

Número: 186

Páginas: 73-80

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.15446/DYNA.V81N186.38436 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openDialnet editor

Otras publicaciones en: DYNA: revista de la Facultad de Minas. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Sede Medellín

Resumen

En la actualidad uno de los problemas medioambientales con mayor necesidad de actuación es la contaminación por la formación de drenajes ácidos de mina (AMD: “Acid Mine Drainage”) procedentes de estériles de mina. Este es el término utilizado para describir el drenaje generado por la oxidación natural de sulfuros minerales que son expuestos a la acción combinada de agua y oxígeno atmosférico. Los minerales responsables de la generación de AMD son los sulfuros de hierro (pirita, FeS2 y en menor medida la pirrotita, Fe1-XS), los cuales son estables e insolubles mientras no se encuentren en contacto con agua y oxígeno atmosférico. Sin embargo, como consecuencia de la actividad minera, estos dos sulfuros son expuestos a condiciones ambientales oxidantes. La necesidad de prevenir la formación de AMD ha desarrollado numerosas investigaciones sobre los mecanismos de oxidación y su prevención. En el presente trabajo además de realizar una explicación y valoración teórica del proceso de oxidación de la pirita también se realiza un compendio de las medidas preventivas y correctoras más empleadas

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