Coal industry has undergone rapid growth to form the backbone of the national energy industry from mid 1960s until mid-1980s. However, since mid-1980s the energy consumption pattern has changed coal to oil and gas due to improved the quality of life. About 394 of 400 coal mine were closed by Coal Industry Rationalization Act (MIRECO, 2010) during the period from 1989 to 1991 for economic and industrial reasons, as a result only 6 is all that left of a operating coal mine.
Most of abandoned coal mines generates acid mine drainage (AMD) that gives environmental problems because of high acidity and metal concentrations.
One of the most significant environmental issues in abandoned coal mine is acidic drainage which gives rise to the many environmental problems that acidifying streams water, sedimentation of iron/aluminium hydroxide, and pollution of water and soil.
The methods of mine drainage improvement can be classified by natural purification technology of a passive and physicochemical purification technology an active treatment.
Sambong coal mine located in the southern part of Kangwon-do, it was intended to evaluate geochemical impact through identification of geochemical influence as to nearby tributary of streams of closed coal mines of the acid mine drainage. For which analysis were performed with regard to microorganism, pH, EC, T?, XRD, cation, anion, turbidity of the sedimentation substance, water quality sample from acid mine drainage.
Of 14 samples from SB-W01 to SB-W14 were collected form Mine water discharged from Sambong mine and also collected sedimentation substance nearby pit mouth, white sedimentation substance in the stream.
Those sedimentation substance indicated characteristics of amorphous crystal structure, and capable to obverse state that contain a lot of moisture.
According to the result of ICP-AES, IC analysis by collecting water sample of mine water and sample of inflow point of the river, there appears value of cation Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Si, Na, K and values of anion F, Cl, NO2, NO3, SO4.
Water samples show pH range from 3.87 to 7.94 and EC range from 435 to 897㎲/㎝ at the stream receiving mine water. Concentrations of cations such as Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Fe and Mn are rshowing the range from 2.84-3.42, 10.14-15.02, ND-4.87, 4.48-9.43, 1.20-1.75, 72.1-85.3, 0.06-1.40, 5.78-13.96 mg/L, respectively. Concentrations of anion such as F, Cl, NO3, SO4, Br and PO4 are rshowing the range from 0.69-0.93, 1.63-2.07, 0.45-126.49, 54.65-634.64, ND and ND mg/L, respectively
PH was 7.45 at inflow point of mine water and stream that flows into stream from pit mouth, being Iron, manganese, aluminum the most problematic matters in the Coal Mine Drainage which exist in the form of sulfate in the Coal Mine Drainage through oxidation of sulfide minerals contained in the coal. In case of Coal Mine Drainage of Sambong mine, high magnesium content was indicated and pH was getting higher while flowing into river of mine water, thus it appears to have impact to the quality of water different from environmental influence for which additional test is requested.