Coal is used to generate roughly half of all electricity produced in the United States. Besides electric utility companies, industries and businesses with their own power plants use coal to generate electricity. Power plants burn coal to make steam. The steam turns turbines which generate electricity. A new research team at Pennsylvania State University are now developing a device that could clean water seeping from coal and metal mines that is loaded with arsenic, lead, copper, iron and cadmium and provide a new source of energy. So far the device only generates a modest amount of energy. A refrigerator-sized version might light up a small incandescent bulb. Still, the researchers hope to significantly improve power output in future versions, as well as bring down costs.
Pennsylvania produced more than 25 percent of the nation’s total coal output and presently ranks fourth in the nation in annual coal production by state and as we know coal mining can cause a water pollution called Acid mine drainage (AMD); a metal-rich water formed from the chemical reaction between water and rocks containing sulfur-bearing minerals. While AMD usually forms in areas where coal mining has taken place, metal-rich drainage can also occur in mineralized areas that have not been mined. AMD happens when the pyrite reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolves iron. This acid run-off dissolves heavy metals such as copper, lead and mercury into ground and surface water. Through effective mine management methods AMD can be minimized.
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Via: English
