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Low-pH Fe(II) oxidation can improve passive treatment of acid mine drainage. Bill Burgos Civil and Environmental Engineering Pennsylvania State University. Acknowledgements.
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Low-pH Fe(II) oxidation can improve passive treatment of acid mine drainage Bill Burgos Civil and Environmental Engineering Pennsylvania State University
Acknowledgements John Senko, Melanie Lucas, Trinh DeSa, Mickey Adelman (Lafayette) – Penn State University, Civil and Environmental Engineering Mary Ann Bruns, Pauline Wanjugi – Penn State University, Crop and Soil Sciences Project Number PA DEP_AMD 42(0420)102.1 NSF EMSI Program CHE-0431328
Research Objectives • study the microbial communities and mineral precipitates associated with low-pH Fe(II) oxidation in Appalachian coal mine drainage • transfer knowledge to the design and operation of more effective passive treatment systems • engineer the system to produce minerals for industrial reuse
Presentation Outline • Field chemistry • Microbial characterizations • Laboratory experiments • Field implementation
Low-pH Fe(II) Oxidation Field Sites Gum Boot: “high rate” Rapid Fe(II) oxidation Fridays-2: “low rate” Little Fe(II) oxidation
Gum Boot AMD Emergence X 18 m AMD flows underground X X 30 m AMD re-emerges X 79 m X AMD Flow X X To Gum Boot Creek X = sampling point
AMD Emergence Fridays-2 X AMD Flow X = sampling point X 3 m X 10 m X X Creek Flow 10 m X
Seasonal Water Chemistry Blue markers – winter Red markers – fall Dark green – spring Light green – summer Arrows at Fridays-2 are upstream and downstream locations downstream distance (m)
Presentation Outline • Field chemistry • Microbial characterizations • Laboratory experiments • Field implementation
100 10-1 10-2 10-3 10-4 10-5 10-6 10-7 Enumeration of Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria Serial dilution of a soil suspension Spread on solid medium Count number of colonies formed Assume 1 CFU = 1 cell So, 20 colonies on 10-4 plate = 2 x 105 CFU/ml
ln(C/Co) Air Fe(II) (mM) Time (d) AMD w/ Fe2+ Time (d) Determination of first-order rate constants for Fe(II) oxidation at Gum Boot and Fridays-2 y = -1.6x - 0.08 R2 = 0.96 Fridays-2 or Gum Boot sediment
Microbial Enumeration and Activity Fe(II)OB most abundant in regions where most Fe(II) oxidation is occurring Fastest rates of Fe(II) oxidation at Fridays-2 comparable to fastest rates at Gum Boot
Bacteria with DNA Iron mound sample with four different kinds of bacteria Fridays-2 After PCR, each kind of bacteria yields a different band in the “community DNA fingerprint” DNA fingerprint with four different bands Gumboot Down Up kbp stream MWM 0 m 2 m 60 m 127 m 10 m stream 3 m 0 m 3000 1 2000 RISA profiles DNA bands 1 1 1500 2 1 2 2 3 1 3 1 1 2 4 2 3 4 2 1000 1 2 3 5 5 3 4 1 3 2 3 4 6 700
DNA-based bacterial community characterization Microbial communities are distinctly different, yet potential for low-pH Fe(II) oxidation ~same. Therefore, relatively small fraction of community may be responsible for Fe(II) oxidation. 2% 9% 2% 6% 3% 6% 28% n = 34 n = 39 59% 74% 5% 3%
Presentation Outline • Field chemistry • Microbial characterizations • Laboratory experiments • Field implementation
Gas Mix Sampling Port Septum Headspace purged with O2, CO2, and N2 Air out Air in 500 mL synthetic AMD Sediment 25 grams sediment Batch Reactor Experiments Air out
Batch Reactor Results FR 10m sediments – 0.7% O2, 1.1% CO2, 98.2% N2
Rate Comparisons Abiotic and Biological Fe(II)(aq) Oxidation Rimstidt, 2004
Presentation Outline • Field chemistry • Microbial characterizations • Laboratory experiments • Field implementation
Limestone ChannelPassive Treatment System • Mine operators must meet effluent standards • Fe <7, Mn< 5, pH 6-9 • Two type of treatment • Active Treatment (chemical) • Passive Treatment (limestone) Active Treatment Passive Treatment CaCO3 + H+ = Ca2+ + HCO3- Ca(OH)2 +2H+ = Ca2+ + 4H2O
“emergent” AMD pH = 4.0 Fe(II) = 100 mg/L DO = 0 mg/L “aerated” AMD pH = 4.0 Fe(II) remains Fe(II) in absence of bio-catalyst DO > 2 mg/L “aerated” AMD pH = 4.0 Fe(II) Fe(III) via bio-oxidation DO > 2 mg/L “aerated” AMD pH = 7.0 Fe(II) Fe(III) rapid abiotic oxidation DO > 2 mg/L Spatial separation of iron oxidation/precipitation from alkalinity addition can improve performance
Upstream overview of Fridays-2, February 2006. Mound flow disrupted May 2006 – Thanks Jon!
Upstream overview of Friday-2 05/09/07 mine pool “Original” Flowpath “Fresh” Flowpath new precipitates since 05/06
October 2006 Hughes Borehole discharge: 800 – 1,500 gallons per minute
October 2006 Hughes Borehole
October 2006 Hughes Borehole
April 2008 Hughes Borehole
May 2008 Hughes Borehole
May 2008 Hughes Borehole
On-Mound Channels Laboratory “Gutter” Reactors Hughes Borehole Sackett Building Penn State University
Construction of “Aeration Terraces” • Design to mimic hydrologic characteristics of Gum Boot Run iron mound. • Maximize aeration and surface area. • Maximize residence time (ca. 15 – 60 min?) over iron mound sediments. • Construct as series of roughened steps. • Control system to produce minerals for industrial reuse.