Environmental impact of coal mining on water regime and its management

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 132; no. 1-2; pp. 185 - 199
• Main Author: TIWARY, R. K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-11-2001; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acid mine drainage; Applied sciences; Bacteria; Coal; Coal mines; Coal mining; Contaminants; Copper; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Economic development; Energy demand; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental impact; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Grease; Heavy metals; Impurities; Industrial wastewaters; Iron sulfides; Leachates; Liquid wastes; Metal concentrations; Mine drainage; Mine wastes; Mine waters; Mines; Mining; Natural water pollution; Oil pollution; Opencast; Overburden; Pollution; Pollution control; Pollution levels; Pollution, environment geology; Pyrite; Rainwaters, run off water and others; Total dissolved solids; Total suspended solids; Wastewaters; Water quality; Water resources; Water treatment and pollution; Bihar; Asia; India; Pollution prevention; Runoff water; Industrial waste water; Coal mine; Environment impact; Water quality; Chemical composition; Water pollution; Waste water purification; Acid mine drainage; Mining industry; Physicochemical properties; Mining waste
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1012083519667

Coal mining is one of the core industries that contribute to the economic development of a country but deteriorate the environment. Being the primary source of energy coal has become essential to meet the energy demand of a country. It is excavated by both opencast and underground mining methods and affects the environment, especially water resources, by discharging huge amounts of mine water. The mine water may be acidic or neutral depending upon the pyrite content in the coal as inorganic impurities. Acid mine drainage occurs in those mines in which sulphur content is found in the range of 1-5% in the form of Pyrite (FeS sub(2)). It degrades the water quality of the region in terms of lowering the pH of the surrounding water resources and increasing the level of total suspended solids, total dissolved solids and some heavy metals. In non acidic mines, water quality shows high hardness, TSS and bacterial contaminants. The leachate water from overburden dump are found enriched in metal concentration especially Fe, Cu, Mn and Ni except in one of the clayey dumps. High values of hardness of mine water reduces it's utility in domestic purposes. The article illustrates the quality of acidic and non acidic mine water and leachate characteristics of opencast coal mining OB dumps. Pollutants such as TSS, TDS, oil and grease and heavy metal are found in the coal mining waste effluents. Management of these liquid waste at the primary level and secondary level have also been suggested to control the pollution level at the source.