Treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) highly rich in sulfate and multiple metal elements has been investigated in a continuous flow column experiment using organic and inorganic reactive media. Treatment substrates that composed of spent mushroom compost (SMC), limestone, activated sludge and woodchips were incorporated into bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) treatment for AMD. SMC greatly assisted the removals of sulfate and metals and acted as essential carbon source for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Alkalinity produced by dissolution of limestone and metabolism of SRB has provided acidity neutralization capacity for AMD where pH was maintained at neutral state, thus aiding the removal of sulfate. Fe, Pb, Cu, Zn and Al were effectively removed (87-100%); however, Mn was not successfully removed despite initial Mn reduction during early phase due to interference with Fe. The first half of the treatment was an essential phase for removal of most metals where contaminants were primarily removed by the BSR in addition to carbonate dissolution function. The importance of BSR in the presence of organic materials was also supported by metal fraction analysis that primary metal accumulation occurs mainly through metal adsorption onto the organic matter, e.g., as sulfides and onto Fe/Mn oxides surfaces.
Passive bioremediation of metal- and sulfate-containing acid mine drainage (AMD) has been investigated in a batch study. Multiple substrates were used in the AMD remediation using spent mushroom compost (SMC), limestone, activated sludge (AS), and woodchips (WC) under anoxic conditions suitable for bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR). Limestones used were of crushed limestone (CLS) and uncrushed limestone, provided at two different ratios in mixed substrates treatment and varied by the proportion of SMC and limestone. The SMC greatly assisted the removals of sulfate and metals and also acted as an essential carbon source for BSR. The mixed substrate composed of 40% CLS, 30% SMC, 20% AS, and 10% WC was found to be effective for metal removal. Mn, Cu, Pb, and Zn were greatly removed (89-100%) in the mixed substrates treatment, while Fe was only removed at 65%. Mn was found to be removed at a greatly higher rate than Fe, suggesting important Mn adsorption onto organic materials, that is, greater sorption affinity to the SMC. Complementary with multiple treatment media was the main mechanism assisting the AMD treatment through microbial metal reduction reactions.
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