You are here:
MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM - SULFATE REDUCING BACTERIA REACTIVE WALL DEMO
Citation:
MSE Technology Applications, Inc. MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM - SULFATE REDUCING BACTERIA REACTIVE WALL DEMO. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-02/053 (NTIS PB2003-103051), 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
Information
Description:
Efforts reported in this document focused on the demonstration of a passive technology that could be used for remediation of
thousands of abandoned mines existing in the Western United States that emanate acid mine drainage (AMD). This passive remedial technology takes advantage of the ability of sulfate reducing bacteria to increase pH and alkalinity of the water and to immobilize dissolved metals by precipitating them as metal sulfides or hydroxides. The technology was demonstrated by
constructing three bioreactors at an abandoned mine site (Calliope Mine) in the vicinity of Butte, MT. The bioreactors were fed with
AMD emanating from a large waste rock pile. Each bioreactor was filled with a combination of organic matter, crushed limestone, and cobbles. Two bioreactors were placed below ground and one was placed above ground. The above ground bioreactor was built to evaluate the effect of cold weather and freezing on the SRB system. Bioreactor performance was monitored monthly by taking pH, EH, dissolved metals, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. At the end of the project the bioreactors were decommissioned, and the site was restored to original conditions. The decommissioning activity also included an autopsy of the solid matrix material. Bacteriological analyses were also conducted to determine SRB population in the organic matter and in the limestone. Results showed that only the Zn, Cu, and Cd were being removed as sulfides due to SRB activities. Changes in concentrations of other metals (Fe, Mn, Al, and As) were indirectly affected by PH increase caused by SRB activity.