title: The non-participation of organic sulphur in acid mine drainage generation.
abstract: Acid mine drainage is commonly associated with land disturbances that encounter and expose iron sulphides to oxidising atmospheric conditions. The attendant acidic conditions solubilise a host of trace metals. Within this flow regime the potential exists to contaminate surface drinking water supplies with a variety of trace materials. Accordingly, in evaluating the applications for mines located in the headwaters of water sheds, the pre-mining prediction of the occurrence of acid mine drainage is of paramount importance.There is general agreement among investigators that coal organic sulphur is a nonparticipant in acid mine drainage generation; however, there is no scientific documentation to support this concensus. Using simulated weathering, kinetic, mass balance, petrographic analysis and a peroxide oxidation procedure, coal organic sulphur is shown to be a nonparticipant in acid mine drainage generation. Calculations for assessing the acid-generating potential of a sedimentary rock should not include organic sulphur content.
authors.affiliation: The MITRE Corporation, USAFOEHL/TS, 78235, Brooks, AFB TX, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Casagrande
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Finkelman
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Caruccio