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Sanders, F., Rahe, J., Pastor, D., & Anderson, R. (1999). Wetlands treat mine runoff. Civil Engineering, 69(1), 53–55.
Abstract: In the late 1890s, silver, lead and zinc deposits were discovered along the headwaters of the Blackfoot River, northeast of Missoula, Mont. Settlers began mining the metals in earnest, and eventually the mines became known as the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex (UBMC). Many of the mines were operated long enough to supply metals for World War II weaponry, but after the war the mines were abandoned, and by the 1960s, their orange-tainted runoff began to concern both passersby and state officials. In 1991, the state contacted the current owners of several of those mines-including the Mike Horse and the Anaconda-to negotiate a voluntary cleanup. The American Smelting and Refining Co. (ASARCO) and the Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO) agreed to remediate the sites' metal-enriched, moderately to severely acidic drainage, which was discharging into the upper Blackfoot River. As part of effort to reclaim the Mike Horse and Anaconda mines, engineers with McCulley, Frick and Gilman Inc. (MFG), Boulder, Colo., developed an integrated, passive wetland treatment system that will take several years to reach full treatment capacity in the high-elevation environment, but will last for decades. (Constructed and restored wetlands have also been part of the remediation of other UBMC mines, such as the Carbonate and Paymaster mines.) The Mike Horse and Anaconda system, designed to meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) restrictions, concentrates primarily on zinc and iron and, to a lesser extent, on copper, lead and other metals.
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Eriksson, P. K., Lien, L. A., Green, D. H., & Kyburz, M. (1997). Nanofiltration für die Aufkonzentrierung von Kupfersulfat von Auslaugewässern und die Rückgewinnung von Schwefelsäure. In 6. Aachener Membran Kolloquium, Preprints, Aachen, DE, 3. 5. Mar, 1997 (pp. 113–121).
Abstract: In einem US-amerikanischen Minenbetrieb fallen bei der Auslaugung von Abraum zur Gewinnung von Restkupfer Abwässer an, die höhere Konzentrationen aufweisen als für Abwässer erlaubt ist. Eine bislang angewandte chemische Fällung erforderte erhebliche Kosten. Mit der Nanofiltration (NF), verbunden mit einer Biomasse-Adsorptionsstufe, erhält man ein weniger problematisches Abwasser, das direkt eingeleitet werden darf. Dieses Wasser kann im Betrieb sogar als Frischwasser dort eingesetzt werden, wo höhere Anteile an Silikaten toleriert werden können. Ein weiterer Vorteil der NF-Technik ist die Aufkonzentration der Metallsalze und die Rückgewinnung von Schwefelsäure. Kupfer liegt z.B. nach der ersten Stufe in solcher Konzentration vor, daß die Extraktionskapazität der existierenden Anlage stark erhöht wird. Die Nanofiltration ist ein Membranprozeß, bei dem Membranen mit Porengrößen von ca. 1 nm eingesetzt werden. Die Porengröße ist kleiner als bei Ultrafiltrationsverfahren und nur wenig größer als bei Umkehrosmosemembranen. Gearbeitet wird mit dem Prinzip der Queranströmung (Crossflow). Zur Entfernung der relativ geringen Anteile an Schwermetallen wird zusätzlich eine Biomasse-Kolonne eingesetzt. Beschrieben wird der Aufbau bzw. das Fließschema einer Pilotanlage. Untersuchungen mit dieser Anlage bestätigten die Wirksamkeit der NF- Abwasserbehandlung mit anschließender Adsorption an Biomasse. Die zugeführten Chemikalien bestehen lediglich aus relativ harmlosen Stoffen wie Entkrustungsmittel und Soda. Das Entkrustungsmittel wird benötigt, um Ablagerungen von Anorganika auf den Membranen zu verhindern. Das Soda neutralisiert das aufbereitete Wasser. Beide Chemikalien verhalten sich im Prozeß ansonsten neutral. Hauptsächliche Ausgaben entstehen für Kapitalkosten. Betriebskosten entstehen für den Membranersatz und die Energie. Die Versuchsresultate und Erkenntnisse aus den Versuchen konnten weitgehend für die Auslegung einer NF-Anlage in einer Kupfermine in Mexiko übernommen werden, die im Frühjahr 1997 in Betrieb genommen werden soll.
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Benner, S. G., Blowes, D. W., & Ptacek, C. J. (1997). A full-scale porous reactive wall for prevention of acid mine drainage. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, 17(4), 99–107.
Abstract: The generation and release of acidic drainage containing high concentrations of dissolved metals from decommissioned mine wastes is an environmental problem of international scale. A potential solution to many acid drainage problem is the installation of permeable reactive walls into aquifers affected by drainage water derived from mine waste materials. A permeable reactive wall installed into an aquifer impacted by low-quality mine drainage waters was installed in August 1995 at the Nickel Rim mine site near Sudbury, Ontario. The reactive mixture, containing organic matter, was designed to promote bacterially mediated sulfate reduction and subsequent metal sulfide precipitation. The reactive wall is installed to an average depth of 12 feet (3.6 m) and is 49 feet (15 m) long perpendicular to ground water flow. The wall thickness (flow path length) is 13 feet (4 m). Initial results, collected nine months after installation, indicate that sulfate reduction and metal sulfide precipitation is occurring. Comparing water entering the wall to treated water existing the wall, sulfate concentrations decrease from 2400 to 4600 mg/L to 200 to 3600 mg/L; Fe concentration decrease from 250 to 1300 mg/L to 1.0 to 40 mg/L, pH increases from 5.8 to 7.0; and alkalinity (as CaCO<inf>3</inf>) increases from 0 to 50 mg/L to 600 to 2000 mg/L. The reactive wall has effectively removed the capacity of the ground water to generate acidity on discharge to the surface. Calculations based on comparison to previously run laboratory column experiments indicate that the reactive wall has potential to remain effective for at least 15 years.
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Kuyucak, N. (2002). Acid mine drainage prevention and control options. CIM Bull., 95(1060), 96–102.
Abstract: Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the mining industry worldwide. It occurs as a result of natural oxidation of sulphide minerals contained in mining wastes at operating and closed/decommissioned mine sites. AMD may adversely impact the surface water and groundwater quality and land use due to its typical low pH, high acidity and elevated concentrations of metals and sulphate content. Once it develops at a mine, its control can be difficult and expensive. If generation of AMD cannot be prevented, it must be collected and treated. Treatment of AMD usually costs more than control of AMD and may be required for many years after mining activities have ceased. Therefore, application of appropriate control methods to the site at the early stage of the mining would be beneficial. Although prevention of AMD is the most desirable option, a cost-effective prevention method is not yet available. The most effective method of control is to minimize penetration of air and water through the waste pile using a cover, either wet (water) or dry (soil), which is placed over the waste pile. Despite their high cost, these covers cannot always completely stop the oxidation process and generation of AMD. Application of more than one option might be required. Early diagnosis of the problem, identification of appropriate prevention/control measures and implementation of these methods to the site would reduce the potential risk of AMD generation. AMD prevention/control measures broadly include use of covers, control of the source, migration of AMD, and treatment. This paper provides an overview of AMD prevention and control options applicable for developing, operating and decommissioned mines.
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Wolkersdorfer, C., & Younger, P. L. (2002). Passive mine water treatment as an alternative to active systems. Grundwasser, 7(2), 67–77.
Abstract: For the treatment of contaminated mine waters reliable treatment methods with low investment and operational costs are essential. Therefore, passive treatment systems recently have been installed in Great Britain and in Germany (e.g. anoxic limestone drains, constructed wetlands, reactive barriers, roughing filters) and during the last eight years such systems successfully treated mine waters, using up to 6 ha of space. In some cases with highly contaminated mine water, a combination of active and passive systems should be applied, as in any case the water quality has to reach the limits. Because not all the processes of passive treatment systems are understood in detail, current research projects (e.g. EU-project PIRAMID) were established to clarify open questions.
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