Abstract: The understanding of molecular mechanisms in the cycling of elements in general is essential to our alteration of current processes. One field where such geochemical element cycles are of major importance is the prevention and treatment of acid mine drainage waters (AMD) which are prone to occur in every anthropogenic, modified landscape where sulfidic rock material has been brought to the surface during mine operations. Microbiologically controlled production of AMD leads not only to acidification, but at the same time the dissolution of heavy metals makes them bioavailable posing a potential ecotoxicological risk. The water path then can contaminate surface and ground water resources which leads to even bigger problems in large catchment areas. The investigation of mechanisms in natural attenuation has already provided first ideas for applications of naturally occurring bioremediation schemes. Especially an improved soil microflora can enhance the natural attenuation when adapted microbes are applied to contaminated areas. Future schemes for plant extraction, control of water efflux by increasing evapotranspiration, and by subsequent land use with agricultural plants with biostabilization and phytosequestration potential will provide putative control measures. The mechanisms in parts of these processes have been evaluated and the resulting synthesis applied to derive a bioremediation plan using the former uranium mine in Eastern Thuringia as a case study. (c) 2005 Elsevier GrnbH. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The South African mining industry discharges relatively small quantities of mine service water to the environment, but these effluents contribute substantially to the salt load of the receiving waters. The poor quality of service water also has significant cost implications on the mining operations. Of the two main types of mine service water encountered in the gold mining industry, the so-called calcium sulphate scaling types is found in the majority of cases. Preliminary testwork on this type of water using membrane desalination processes revealed that only the seeded reverse osmosis type of process showed promise. To overcome certain process problems and high operating costs with this system, a novel membrane desalination technique incorporating seeded technology, called the SPARRO (slurry precipitation and recycle reverse osmosis) process, was developed. The novel features of the new process included; a lower linear slurry velocity in the membrane tubes, a lower seed slurry concentration, a dual pumping arrangement to a tapered membrane stack, a smaller reactor and a modified seed crystal and brine blow-down system. Evaluation of the SPARRO process and its novel features, over a five-year period, confirmed its technical viability for desalinating calcium sulphate-scaling mine water. The electrical power consumption of the process was approximately half that of previous designs, significantly improving its efficiency. Membrane performance was evaluated and was generally unsatisfactory with both fouling and hydrolysis dominating at times, although operating conditions for the membranes were not always ideal. The precise cause(s) for the membrane degradation was not established, but a mechanism for fouling (based upon the presence of turbidity in the mine water) and a hypothesis fora possible cause of hydrolysis (alluding to the presence of radionuclides in the mine water) were proposed. Product water from the SPARRO process has an estimated gross unit cost (including capital costs) of 383 c/m(3) (1994).