Powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze soil samples collected from Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) sites in Pennsylvania, USA and Potosi, Bolivia. PXRD was used to determine the phase of the soil samples, while EDS was used to study element distribution.  From the EDS analysis, all soil samples contained iron. Potosi soil samples contained large amounts of nickel, chromium, silicon, manganese, aluminum, and sulfur. The minerals found in the Potosi soil sample from the Rietveld analysis are quartz, pyrite, potassium iron oxide, jarosite, elbaite manganiferous, muscovite, ceria, cesium copper rhodium fluoride, arsenic sodium sulfide, sodium nitride, potassium chloride. The Lilly, PA soil sample mainly contained silicon, aluminum, calcium, potassium, and sulfur. The Swank mine site in Dean PA contained magnesium, aluminum, silicon, calcium, and potassium.  Flame Atomic Absorption data showed that water sample from Lilly, PA had a concentration of 3.28 and 0.65 ppm Fe at the discharge and 0.033 and 0.45 ppm by the end of the system for Mn. The Swank water sample from Dean, PA had a concentration of 0.29 ppm at the discharge and 0.14 ppm by the end of the system for Iron (Fe). Although the concentration is above the acceptable level according to the EPA, the concentration of these metals decreases as they go through the treatment system, indicating that they are still working well after a decade of constant service.

Powder analysis of acid mine drainage precipitate

247th National Meeting (2014)

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