Discussion Questions: Acid Mine Drainage Remediation
- How does coal mining cause acid mine drainage (AMD)?
- Discuss the common characteristics of solutions with a pH of less than 7.
- Discuss the common characteristics of solutions with a pH greater than 7.
- Explain why solutions with low pHs have few visible solids in solution.
- If you encountered a stream in the forest, what, if any, visual evidence would indicate a stream with a low pH? What visual evidence would indicate that a stream has an acceptable pH, but still suffers from AMD contamination? Are these visual indications sufficient to determine if the water is “safe”? If not, how would you make this determination?
- What pH does the water that comes out of your tap most likely have? Why? What factors in a municipal water system and the plumbing system of buildings might affect the water’s pH?
