Effects of anaerobically digested sludge on the oxidation of pyrite and the formation of acid mine drainage

Conference · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)

OSTI ID:5288650

Loomis, E C; Hood, W C

Anaerobically digested municipal sanitary sewage sludge has been mixed with the mine soil at the Palzo Mine, Williamson County, Illinois in an effort to retard the oxidation of the pyrite that is present throughout the mine soil and so decrease the amount of acid mine drainage that forms. To evaluate this treatment, experiments were conducted which examined the oxidation rate of various mixtures of pyrite and sludge as well as each component separately. The experiments show that the oxidation rate is controlled by the pyrite present until a low component ratio of 2 to 1 is reached where the rate drops significantly. Experiments with both treated and untreated mine soil samples showed that treated samples gave Eh and pH values similar to the low ratio mixtures, while the untreated samples had values close to those recorded in the experiments where pyrite dominated the reaction rate. The results of these experiments suggest that the treatment of acid mine drainage producing mine soils with anaerobically digested sludge improves the quality of the drainage on and from the area by causing ferric hydroxide to precipitate and coat the pyrite present and thus prevent the continued oxidation reaction sequence. In this process, sludge is oxidized and must be replaced to hold the conditions on the site stable.

• Research Organization: Amoco Production Co., Houston, TX
• OSTI ID: 5288650
• Report Number(s): CONF-841204-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010800* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Waste Management
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL MINING
CONTROL
DATA
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
DIGESTION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION V
FIELD TESTS
ILLINOIS
INFORMATION
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
LAND RECLAMATION
MANAGEMENT
MINERALS
MINING
MIXING
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDATION
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
PROCESSING
PYRITE
REDOX POTENTIAL
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
SPOIL BANKS
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE MINING
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL