Mine Remediation and Climate Changes

Climate change and global warming are caused mainly by the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mostly due to human activities. Groundwater, surface water, wetlands, land, animals, and plants are all at serious risk of environmental pollution by treated and untreated mining wastes and tailings. Moreover, it is well known that substantial carbon dioxide (CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]]) emissions occur throughout the processes of ore extraction and beneficiation. However, the ability of mining waste and abandoned mines to collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere raises the possibility that they might be a long-term solution to slow down global warming. Understanding the oxidation of sulfidic minerals, the hydrolysis of the oxidation products that lead to lower pH, SO[[inf]]4[[/inf]][[sup]]2−[[/sup]], and Fe, and hazardous metals and acid mine drainage (AMD), is necessary to facilitate remediation strategies. The effects of climate change on AMD development, water quality, and geochemical responses in semi-arid and arid mining areas are all covered in this chapter. This chapter highlights the impacts of seasonal, hydrological, and climatic changes on the composition of AMD, as well as the movement of pollutants across watersheds and the restoration of mining sites. The benefits and limits of various models vary, which affects how adaptable and appropriate these are for use in diverse mining contexts. This chapter has assessed the effects of climate change on sulfide oxidation, AMD formation from mining waste, and pollutant transmission in surface and groundwater systems by conducting a comparative review of some of the most promising and often used reactive transport models.