Passive treatment of coal mine drainage. Information circular/1994

Technical Report · Mon Oct 04 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:7078684

Hedin, R S; Narin, R W; Kleinmann, R L.P.

Passive methods of treating mine water use chemical and biological processes that decrease metal concentrations and neutralize acidity. Compared with conventional chemical treatment, passive methods generally require more land area, but use less costly reagents and require less operational attention and maintenance. Currenlty, three types of passive technologies exist: aerobic wetlands, organic substrate wetlands, and anoxic limestone drains. Aerobic wetlands promote mixed oxidation and hydrolysis reactions, and are most effective when the raw mine water is net alkaline. Organic substrate wetlands promote anaerobic bacterial activity that results in the precipitation of metal sulfides and the generation of bicarbonate alkalinity. Anoxic limestone drains generate bicarbonate alkalinity and can be useful for the pretreatment of mine water before it flows into a wetland.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Pittsburgh Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7078684
• Report Number(s): PB-94-173341/XAB; BUMINES-IC--9389
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CHEMISTRY
CONTROL
ECOSYSTEMS
POLLUTION CONTROL
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
WETLANDS