Bactericidal control of acid problems in surface mines and coal refuse

Conference · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)

OSTI ID:5340499

Kleinmann, R L.P.

A bacterium, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, accelerates acidification of pyritic material and significantly increases the eventual level of acid production by catalyzing pyrite oxidation in the zone of aeration. Bactericides can be effective in reducing acid formation if added to infiltrating precipitation. However, the bactericidal treatment must be repeated frequently to prevent repopulation. To accomplish this at low cost, we have developed a controlled release technique involving diffusion and dissolution of anionic detergents from pellets of an elastomeric matrix. Release is expected to continue for approximately five years after application of the pellet. The technique has been tested in the laboratory, on small coal refuse piles in central Pennsylvania and on hydrologically isolated sections of an abandoned surface mine in northern West Virginia. Detergent concentrations of approximately 25 ppm in the pyritic material delayed or prevented acidification of coal refuse and reduced acidity of drainage from acid-producing material by 50-95%. The U.S. Bureau of Mines is presently initiating larger-scale field tests of the technique to evaluate such potential problems as adsorption of the detergent to the clay particles and detergent contamination downstream.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA
• OSTI ID: 5340499
• Report Number(s): CONF-801263-
• 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
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
ADDITIVES
BACILLUS
BACTERIA
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CHALCOGENIDES
COAL MINING
CONTROL
DETERGENTS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
EMULSIFIERS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FEDERAL REGION III
GERMICIDES
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL WASTES
MINERALS
MINING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
PENNSYLVANIA
POLLUTION CONTROL
PYRITE
SOLID WASTES
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR-OXIDIZING BACTERIA
SURFACE MINING
SURFACTANTS
THIOBACILLUS FERROXIDANS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
US BUREAU OF MINES
US DOI
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
WETTING AGENTS