Treatment of acid mine drainage with the use of natural zeolite on an experimental scale
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The present research project was carried out at the Instituto Nacional de Investigación Geológico Minero Metalúrgico (INIGEMM) with a total of 40 liters of water of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) taken from the Quebrada “El Panteón”, Parroquia Torata, Cantón Santa Rosa, Provincia de El Oro. The AMD was treated through a treatment system which consisted of a series of two leach columns connected by flow through a peristaltic pump, which contained a mixture of reactive materials type Dispersed Alkaline Substrate (DAS), and the addition of natural zeolite as a filter medium. In the treatment system, 12 measurements of conductivity and pH were taken, while four measurements were taken for the analysis of metals (Al, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cd) and SO42- anion. A final average of pH of treated AMD was 8.03 and a final average conductivity was 3,254mS/cm. The final average removal efficiency were Al (97.81%); Fe (99.79%); Cu (91.42%); Pb (83.33%); Zn (99.84%); Mn (96.14%); Cd (88.54%) and SO42- (51.47%). The system has a high metal removal according to the results obtained, so the discharge complies with the national environmental regulations, except for the anion SO42-.
Downloads
Metrics
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
International Network for Acid Prevention. (2014). “Global Acid Rock Drainage Guide” en INAP: The International Network for Acid Prevention. [En línea]. Disponible en: http://www.gardguide.com/images/5/5f/TheGlobalAcidRockDrainageGuide.pdf [Revisado el día 20 de febrero de 2017].
Delgado Rodríguez, J., (2012) Estudio de la contaminación por metales pesados en la Cuenca Baja del río Guadiana. Tesis doctoral. Huelva. Universidad de Huelva, Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales.
Nyquist, J. y Greger, M., (2009). “A field study of constructed wetlands for preventing and treating acid mine drainage” en Ecological Engineering, No. 35, pp. 630-642.
Lottermoser, B.G., (2010) Mine Wastes: Characterización, Treatment and Environmental Impacts. 3era edición. Springer.
Caraballo, M., Rotting, T.S., Macías, F., Nieto, J.M. y Ayora, C., (2009). “Field multi-step limestone and MgO passive system to treat acid mine drainage with high metal concentrations” en Applied Geochemistry. No. 24, pp. 2301-2311.
Rotting, T.S., Thomas, R.C., Ayora, C. y Carrera, J., (2008a). “Passive Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage with High Metal Concentrations Using Dispersed Alkaline Substrate” en Journal of Environmental Quality, No. 37, pp. 1741-1751.
Cortina, J.L., Lagreca I. y Pablo, J., (2003). “Passive In Situ Remediation of Metal-Polluted Water with Caustic Magnesia: Evidence from Column Experiments” en Environmental Science and Technology. No. 37, pp. 1971-1977.
Rotting, T.S., J.A., Ayora, C. y Carrera, J., (2008c). “Improved Passive Treatment of High Zn and Mn Concentrations Using Caustic Magnesia (MgO): Particle Size Effects” en Environmental Science and Technology, No. 42, pp. 9370-9377.
Motsi, T., (2010). Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage Using Natural Zeolite. Tesis doctoral. Escuela de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Birmingham, Reino Unido.
Motsi, T., Rowson, N.A. y Simmons, M.J.H., (2009). “Adsorption of heavy metals from acid mine drainage by natural zeolite” en International Journal of Mineral Processing, No. 92, pp. 42-48.
Wingenfelder, U., Hansen, C., Furrer, G. y Schulin, R., (2005). “Removal of Heavy Metals form Mine Waters by Natural Zeolites” en Environmental Science and Technology, No. 39, pp. 4606-4613.
Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, (Noviembre de 2015). Acuerdo Ministerial No. 097 Sustitúyase el Libro VI del Texto Unificado de Legislación Secundaria. Quito, Ecuador: Registro Oficial No.387.
Morin, K. y Hutt, N. (2001). “Relocation of net-acid-generating waste to improve post-minig wáter chemistry” en Waste Management, No. 21, pp. 185-190.
Aduvire, O. (2006). “Drenaje ácido de mina generación y tratamiento”. Madrid, disponible en: http://info.igme.es/SIDIMAGENES/113000/258/113258_0000001.PDF [Revisado el día 20 de febrero de 2017]
Leinonen, H. y Lehto, J., (2001). “Purification of metal finishing waste waters with zeolites and activated carbons” en Waste Management and Research, No. 19, pp. 45-57.
Rotting, T.S., Cama, J., Ayora, C., Cortina, J.L. y De Pablo, J., (2006). “Use of Caustic Magnesia To Remove Cadmium, Nickel, and Cobalt from Water in Passive Treatment Systems: Column Experiments” en Environmental Science and Technology, No. 40, pp. 6438-6443.
Bustillos Yaguana, A. y Suin Arévalo, M., (2014) Diseño y construcción de un reactor químico para la obtención de zeolitas sintéticas. Tesis de ingeniería. Cuenca, Universidad de Cuenca, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Escuela de Ingeniería Química.
Macías, F., Caraballo, M.A., Nieto, J.M., Rotting T.S. y Ayora, C., (2012). “Natural pretreatment and passive remediation of highly polluted acid mine drainage” en Journal of Environmental Management, No. 104, pp. 93-100.
Macías, F., (2013) Estudio mineralógico y geoquímico de la optimización de un sistema de tratamiento pasivo de drenaje ácido de mina con alta carga metálica. Tesis doctoral. Huelva. Universidad de Huelva, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Departamento de Geología.
Oliva, J., De Pablo, J., Cortina, J.L., Cama, J. y Ayora, C., (2010). “The use of Apatite IITM to remove divalent metal ions zinc (II), lead (II), manganese (II) and iron (II) from water in passive treatment systems: columns experiments” en Journal of Hazardous Materials, No. 184. pp. 364-374.
Wingenfelder, U., Hansen, C., Furrer, G. y Schulin, R., (2005). “Removal of Heavy Metals form Mine Waters by Natural Zeolites” en Environmental Science and Technology, No. 39, pp. 4606-4613.
Pérez López, R., Macías, F., Caraballo, M.A., Nieto, J.M., Román Ross, G., Tucoulou, R. y Ayora, C., (2011). “Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Zn-Rich Mine-Drainage Precipitates From an MgO Passive Treatment System by Synchrotron-Based X-ray Analysis” en Environmental Science and Technology, No. 45, pp. 7826-7833.
Piris Casanova, G., (2015). Tratamiento de Aguas Ácidas de Mina. Trabajo fin de carrera. Barcelona. Departamento de Ingeniería del Terreno, Cartográfica y Geofísica.
Micera, G., Gessa, C., Melis P., Premoli, A., Dallocchio, R. y Deeana, S., (1986). “Zinc (II) Adsorption on aluminum hydroxide” en Colloide and Surface, No. 17, pp. 389-394.