Treatment efficiency of iron-rich acid mine drainage in a tri-unit pilot system

Treatment efficiency of iron-rich acid mine drainage (AMD; pH 3, and 2 and 4 g/L Fe) was tested in a laboratory tri-unit pilot-scale reactor (2.65 m³) for 1 year. The first unit consisted of a passive biochemical reactor (PBR1), filled with reactive mixture (50% of manure, sawdust, maple chips, compost, urea, sediment, and sand; 50% of calcite), with the aim to neutralize acidity and to partially remove metals. The second unit contained wood ash and acted as neutralizer and iron retention filter (by sorption and precipitation). The last unit was a second polishing PBR2, filled with reactive mixture (98% of manure, sawdust, maple chips, compost, urea, sediment, and sand; 2% of calcite), which aim was to remove the residual metals. The results showed that pH increased to about 6 and redox potential decreased significantly (from 550 mV to -100 mV). Iron, the most challenging metal in the AMD, decreased from 4 g/L (the highest tested concentration) to approximately 100 mg/L. The performance of the multistep treatment system was controlled by the capacity of the wood ash to immobilize iron.