Passive treatment of acid mine drainage in systems containing compost and limestone: Laboratory and field results
Passive, down-flow systems, consisting of compost and limestone layers, termed successive alkalinity producing systems (SAPS), may be well suited for treatment of mine drainage containing ferric iron and/or aluminum. A column, simulating a SAPS, has been operated in the laboratory for 52 weeks. The 0.16-m diameter column consisted of a 0.30-m thick layer of limestone, a 0.76-m thick layer of spent mushroom compost thick layer of limestone, a 0.76-m thick layer of spent mushroom compost and 0.91 m of free standing water. Actual AMD (pH = 3.02, acidity = 218 mg/L (as CaCO{sub 3}), SO{sub 4} = 600 mg/L, Fe = 16.0 mg/L, Mn = 12.1 mg/L, and Al = 17.1 mg/L) was applied to the column at a rate of 3.8 mL/min. Effluent pH has remained above 6.2 (6.2-7.9) in the column system. A SAPS located in Jefferson County, PA has been monitored for the past 4.5 years. The SAPS has an approximate area of 1000 m{sup 2} and contains a 0.4-m thick layer of limestone, a 0.2-m thick layer of spent mushroom compost, and 1.5 m of free standing water. Mine water (acidity = 335 mg/L (as CaCO{sub 3}), SO{sub 4} = 1270 mg/L, Fe = 246 mg/L, Mn = 38.4 mg/L, and Al = <0.2 mg/L) flowed into the SAPS at a rate of 140 L/min. Water samples from the field and laboratory systems have been collected at strategic locations on a regular basis and analyzed for pH, alkalinity, acidity, Fe{sup 2+}, total Fe, Mn, Al, SO{sub 4}, Ca, Mg, Na, Co, Ni, and Zn. Alkalinity has been generated in both field and laboratory systems by a combination of limestone dissolution and sulfate reduction. The column generated an average of 378 mg/L of alkalinity; 74% due to limestone dissolution and 26% due to bacterial reduction of sulfate. The field SAPS generated an average of 231 mg/L of alkalinity and exhibited seasonal trends.
- OSTI ID:
- 588923
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9605286-; TRN: 98:001296-0093
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 13. annual meeting of the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation (ASSMR), Knoxville, TN (United States), 18-23 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Successes and failures: Applying research results to insure reclamation success; Daniels, W.L.; Burger, J.A.; Zipper, C.E. [Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (United States). Depts. of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences and Forestry] [eds.]; PB: 889 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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