Mitigating health problems associated with AMD in South Africa

Abstract

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious threat to water quality in South Africa. Questions are being asked to South African government leaders as to what they are doing to mitigate the effects that South Africa’s mining industry is having on communities’ water supply and the water table. The CSIR has developed a novel process to reclaim high-quality precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) from calcium-rich industrial solid waste. Calcium carbonate can be used to prevent AMD from becoming too acidic, as it has the effect of lowering water's pH level.