Long term remediation of highly polluted acid mine drainage: a sustainable approach to restore the environmental quality of the Odiel river basin |
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Authors: | Caraballo Manuel A Macías Francisco Rötting Tobias S Nieto José Miguel Ayora Carlos |
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Institution: | a Geology Department, University of Huelva, Avenida 3 de Marzo s/n, Campus “El Carmen”, E-21071 Huelva, Spain b Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Hydrogeology Group, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain c Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA - CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain |
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Abstract: | During 20 months of proper operation the full scale passive treatment in Mina Esperanza (SW Spain) produced around 100 mg/L of ferric iron in the aeration cascades, removing an average net acidity up to 1500 mg/L as CaCO3 and not having any significant clogging problem. Complete Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ti and V removal from the water was accomplished through almost the entire operation time while Fe removal ranged between 170 and 620 mg/L. The system operated at a mean inflow rate of 43 m3/day achieving an acid load reduction of 597 g·(m2 day)−1, more than 10 times higher than the generally accepted 40 g·(m2 day)−1 value commonly used as a passive treatment system designing criteria. The high performance achieved by the passive treatment system at Mina Esperanza demonstrates that this innovative treatment design is a simple, efficient and long lasting remediation option to treat highly polluted acid mine drainage. |
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Keywords: | Acid mine drainage Passive treatment system Iberian Pyrite Belt Schwertmannite Hydrobasaluminite |
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