Study on the Applicability of Passive Treatment for Mine Drainage Treatment at Abandoned Mines in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, many studies have been conducted to reduce the cost of mine drainage treatment at abandoned mines. The treatment method called “passive treatment” that utilizes natural purification and is expected to be applied to mine drainage treatment.

Following the completion of the guidelines on the introduction of passive treatment, we conducted a simple screening focused on water quality, quantity and utilizable blank space to review the applicability of passive treatment to abandoned mines in Japan.

Our findings indicate that passive treatment has the potential to be applied to many of abandoned mines in Japan, although there are still some issues to be solved.