Assessing Bioremediation of Acid Mine Drainage in Coal Mining Sites Using a Predictive Neural Network-Based Decision Support System NNDSS)

Abstract

In this study, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was developed as a predictive tool for identifying optimal remediation conditions for groundwater contaminants that include selected metals found at coal mining sites. The ANN was developed from a previous field data obtained from a bioremediation project at an abandoned mine at Cane Creek in Alabama, and from a coal pile run off at a Department of Energy’s site in Aiken, South Carolina. The evaluative parameters included pH, redox, nutrients, bacterial strain (MRS-1), and type of microbial growth process (aerobic, anaerobic or sequential aerobic-anaerobic conditions). Using the conditions predicted by the Neural Networks, significant levels of As, Pb, and Se were precipitated and removed over eight days in remediation assays containing 10 mg/L of each metal in cultures that include MRS-1. The results showed 85%, 100%, and 87% reductions of As, Pb, and Se, respectively. The results from these ANN- driven assays are significant. It provides a roadmap for reducing the technical risks and uncertainties in clean-up programs. Continuous success in these efforts will require a strong and responsive research that provides a decision support system for long-term restoration efforts.