Influence of complex organic amendments on the oxidation of pyritic mine spoil

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5465828

Pichtel, J R

The oxidation of pyritic mine spoil generates copious amounts of acid resulting in extensive environmental degradation. Pyrite oxidation and reclamation of pyritic mine spoil were characterized by measurement of pH, reduced sulfur compounds, sulfate and total soluble iron. Various applied complex organic compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of pH decline. Successful compounds were studied in detail regarding mechanisms of inhibition. Iron oxidation was found to be more critical than sulfur oxidation to total acid production. Application of organic amendments to the spoil limited acid production via iron immobilization or by inhibiting the activity of the spoil microflora. Using a fluorescence quenching titration technique, conditional stability constants were determined for a water-soluble organic compound reacted with both ferrous and ferric iron. The contribution of the organic compound to oxidation/reduction of iron and possible concurrent acid production from pyritic spoils was also studied. A field study was conducted in Southeastern Ohio to examine the ability of various municipal and industrial wastes to effectively reclaim a toxic mine spoil. Plots amended with topsoil, sewage sludge and the high rate of composted papermill sludge consistently maintained optimum pH levels, and topsoil-amended plots were lowest of all treatments in aluminum and iron. Power plant fly ash-amended plots were associated with lowest pH and were among the highest in aluminum content. Vegetative dry matter yields decreased sharply over the study period for each amendment. By the final year of study, topsoil plots had the highest dry matter yields over all treatments.

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ., Columbus (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5465828
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
MINERALS
MINING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
POLLUTION
PYRITE
SOLID WASTES
SPOIL BANKS
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION