Abstract
In this study, operating costs of mine drainage treatment plant in Japan were analyzed by using the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) database, and the effectiveness of the technologies developed by MMAJ/JOGMEC was evaluated.
Mine drainage treatment cost analysis showed that,
-the unit operating cost (yen/m3) of the plants on ferrous mine drainage correlates with both the volume of treatment water (m3/min.) and the acidity (CaCO3 mg/L).
-it is possible to make trial calculation on the change of annual treatment cost depending on the change of treatment water volume and the change of acidity.
The technologies developed, so far, by the former Metal Mining Agency of Japan (MMAJ) and the JOGMEC were evaluated in view of effectiveness. The results showed that the vegetation technology, tunnel plugging technology, sludge backfill technology, and sludge densification technology were most effective.
This study provided a basic data set to consider more effective ways on mine drainage control and treatment, but still the data to be improved.
It is recommended that more detailed mine drainage data and analysis is required to improve technologies to prevent and treat the mining related pollution.
