@article{10272/23139,
year = {2012},
month = {4},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10272/23139},
abstract = {Acid mine drainage (AMD) from the Iberian Pyrite Belt has high acidity and metal concentrations. Earlier
pilot experiments, based on limestone sand dispersed in wood shavings (dispersed alkaline substrate;
DAS) have been shown to be an efficient treatment option. However, complete metal removal was not
achieved, principally due to the high ferrous iron concentration in the inflow AMD. In order to oxidize
and remove iron, a natural Fe-oxidizing lagoon (NFOL) was added prior to treatment with limestone
eDAS. The NFOL comprises several pre-existing Fe-stromatolite terraces and cascades, and a lagoon
with a volume of 100 m3 built near the mine shaft. Downstream of the NFOL, the limestoneeDAS
treatment consists of two reactive tanks of 3 m3 each filled with limestoneeDAS reactive substrate,
connected in series with two decantation ponds of 6 m3 each and several oxidation cascades. The AMD
emerging from the mine shaft displayed a pH near 3, a net acidity of 1800 mg/L as CaCO3 equivalents, and
mean concentrations of 440 mg/L Zn; 275 mg/L Fe (99% Fe(II)); 3600 mg/L SO4; 250 mg/L Ca; 100 mg/L
Al; 15 mg/L Mn; 5 mg/L Cu; and 0.1e1 mg/L As, Pb, Cr, Cd, Co, and Ni. The oxidation induced in the NFOL
enhanced ferric iron concentration, showing an average of 65% oxidation and 38% retention during the
monitoring period. The whole system removed a mean of 1350 mg/L net acidity as CaCO3 equivalents
(71% of inflow); corresponding to 100% of Fe, Al, Cu, Pb and As, and 6% of Zn.},
organization = {This study was funded by the Spanish Government project CGL2010-21956-C02-02. F. Macías was financially supported by the Spanish Government with an FPI PhD fellowship. We thank the analytical assistance of Rafael Carrasco, María José Ruiz and Mari Paz Martin from the Central Research Services of the University of Huelva.},
publisher = {Elsevier},
title = {Natural pretreatment and passive remediation of highly polluted acid mine drainage},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.03.027},
author = {Macías Suárez, Francisco and Caraballo Monge, Manuel Antonio and Nieto Liñán, José Miguel and Rötting, Tobías S. and Ayora, Carlos},
}