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REMOVAL OF TRACE ELEMENTS FROM ACID MINE DRAINAGE
Citation:
Wilmoth, R., J. Kennedy, J. Hall, AND C. Stuewe. REMOVAL OF TRACE ELEMENTS FROM ACID MINE DRAINAGE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-79/101 (NTIS PB299194), 1979.
Description:
Lime neutralization, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange were studied for their effectiveness in removing mg/l levels of ten specific trace elements from spiked acid mine drainage under typical operating conditions. The specified toxic materials were arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. Treatment by lime neutralization was very effective in removing arsenic, cadmium, copper, nickel, and zinc, and relatively ineffective in rejecting boron. The two-bed (strong acid-weak base) ion exchange system was very effective in removing all of the trace elements except phosphorus and boron. None of the three treatment methods was very effective in removing phosphorus. Analysis for boron proved troublesome. Use of the standard nitric acid metals preservation methods was found to be inappropriate for samples requiring boron analysis.