Abstract
Copper mine drainage typically contains large quantities of heavy metal ions and sulfate (SO4 2-) contaminants. Among various strategies for treating acid mine drainage (AMD), using anaerobic bioreactors for biological removal has proven to be particularly effective. This study aimed to assess the efficiency of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in AMD treatment. To achieve this, a semi-pilot-scale down-flow fluidized bed (DFFB) anaerobic reactor was employed to remove SO4 2– and copper (Cu), while a robust numerical model was developed to evaluate the reactor’s performance. The initial concentrations of Cu and SO4 2– in the waste stream were 20 and 3900 mg/L, respectively. At an optimal retention time of 24 h, the maximum removal efficiencies reached 98.05% for Cu and 98.38% for SO4 2-. The treatment process also increased the effluent’s alkalinity and effectively neutralized acidity, providing substantial environmental benefits. Notably, the reactor exhibited stable performance across six consecutive cycles, which can be attributed to the inclusion of activated carbon (AC) granules in the reactor bed. Consequently, the biological approach used here offers a promising, cost-effective, and environmentally sound method for AMD treatment. Finally, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to model the reactor, and their outputs showed excellent agreement with experimental data, underscoring the significant potential of this approach for large-scale industrial applications.
Published Version
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