Combination of Chemical and Biological-Chemical Methods for Elimination of Metals from Acid Mine Drainage
Abstract
Each acid mine drainage has a specific composition, but always contains sulphuric acid, dissolved heavy metals, sulphates, iron precipitates and their pH can be very low. The elimination of metals form the acid mine drainage is a severe environmental problem and
has been a long-standing major concern to scientists, engineers, industry and governments. Various methods are used for the metals
removal from waters, but any of them have been applied under commercial-scale conditions. Mostly studied are chemical and biological-chemical methods. Main aim of the paper was to interpret the combination of chemical and biological-chemical methods for the
heavy metals elimination from the synthetic solution of acid mine drainage, coming from the zinc mine located in Tùnel Kingsmill
outlet of the Rio Yaulì (district of Yauli – Perù). The metals selective precipitation as hydroxides (chemical method) and sulphides
(biological-chemical method) at the various values of pH acid mine drainage is the fundamental of the examined process. For the
hydrogen sulphide production the sulphate-reducing bacteria of genus Desulfovibrio was used. The selective sequential precipitation
process reaches the selective precipitation of chosen metals with 97–99% efficiency – Fe, As, Al and Mn in the form of metal hydroxides,
Cu and Zn as metal sulphides
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