Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

Biological Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage by Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR)

R. Marandi, M.J. EBRAHIMZARANDI

Abstract


Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) was sampled from the Shoor River of Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine Located in Southern Iran and analyzed for metals such as Fe, Cu and Mn and anions such as sulfate. A mixed culture of micro-organisms was obtained from the Qeytarieh wastewater treatment plant in Tehran for use in bio-treatment of the AMD. Then, Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs) were used in an attempt to remove the high concentrations of Fe, Cu, Mn and sulfate in the AMD. The removal of these metals and anions was examined at several pH levels (4.5-5, 6.5-7, 7-7.5, 7.5-8) and inflow rates of AMD. The optimum pH for the highest removal was in the 7.5-8 range. The optimum flow rate was 30 ml/min. Percentage of bio-removal of heavy metals (Mn, Cu and Fe) and sulfate was observed to be 88.28%, 85.14%, 100% and 89.37%, respectively. The results suggest that the mechanism of removal was bio-sorption of metals by microorganisms.

Keywords


Biological treatment, Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Bio-sorption

Full Text:

PDF


Disclaimer/Regarding indexing issue:

We have provided the online access of all issues and papers to the indexing agencies (as given on journal web site). It’s depend on indexing agencies when, how and what manner they can index or not. Hence, we like to inform that on the basis of earlier indexing, we can’t predict the today or future indexing policy of third party (i.e. indexing agencies) as they have right to discontinue any journal at any time without prior information to the journal. So, please neither sends any question nor expects any answer from us on the behalf of third party i.e. indexing agencies.Hence, we will not issue any certificate or letter for indexing issue. Our role is just to provide the online access to them. So we do properly this and one can visit indexing agencies website to get the authentic information. Also: DOI is paid service which provided by a third party. We never mentioned that we go for this for our any journal. However, journal have no objection if author go directly for this paid DOI service.