Abstract
Treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) produces large quantities of solid wastes suffused with heavy metal contaminants. An AMD purification system comprising a pH-buffered anaerobic bioreactor was powered by sulphate-reducing bacteria. This was followed by removal of heavy metals from the sludge using organic acids before applications as a soil amendment. The most recalcitrant pollutant in SRB bioreactor systems is SO4, which persisted in the AMD supernatant above acceptable levels. Excess SO4 in the treated AMD was removed by lime neutralization, as: Ca(OH)2 + H2SO4 = CaSO4 + 2H2O. The pure gypsum is environmentally safe and hence can be commercially utilized. This contrasts with the method of full-time lime-neutralization of AMD which produces polluted gypsum.
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