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Pyrite ( FeS2)

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Pyrite (FeS2) is a sulfide mineral created from the leftover sulfur in the ancient organisms that created coal. When coal is exposed to water and oxygen, the sulfide minerals contained in it oxidize and disintegrate according to the following chemical reaction:

2 FeS2+7 O2+2 H2O → 2 FeSO4+2 H2SO4

This process releases dissolved sulfuric acid into surrounding water, among whatever other element was contained in the sulfide compound. In the case of pyrite, this includes the heavy metal iron (Fe). In the case of arsenopyrite (the rightmost sample in the photo below), the element released is arsenic (As).

This contaminated water, known as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), is responsible for poisoning watersheds surrounding abandoned mining facilities across the globe.
 
Cundy, A. “Sulfide Minerals.” Sulfide Minerals - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2001, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/sulfide-minerals.

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