Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
Volume 66, Issue 8, Pages 2387-2401Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s12665-011-1464-3
Keywords
Mine water treatment; Acid mine drainage; Passive systems; Anoxic limestone drains
Funding
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through the Industrial NSERC Polytechnique/UQAT Chair in Environment and Mine Waste Management
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Oxidation of sulphide mining waste can generate acid mine drainage (AMD) that has the potential to seriously affect the ecosystems. Acid mine drainage is characterised by a high acidity, high concentrations of sulphates and metals. To reduce the environmental impacts due to AMD, neutralisation using limestone drains is an option proposed in the literature and used around the world. The present study focuses on the influence of the carbonate rock mineralogy and their particle size on the neutralising capacity. The tests were performed in two different anoxic conditions: in batch reactors, and in columns having a hydraulic retention time of 15 h. The results showed that the neutralisation capacity of calcite was more important than for dolomitic rock, and smaller particle size gave higher alkalinity production (fine calcite dissolved faster in contact with AMD). A characterization of metal precipitate in sludge and in limestone coating was performed and demonstrated that gypsum, lepidocrocite and goethite were the predominant secondary minerals to be formed. Finally, this study underlines that anoxic limestone drain cannot be used alone to treat high iron concentrated AMD.
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