Stockton Mine Acid Mine Drainage and Its Treatment using Waste Substrates in Biogeochemical Reactors

Type of content
Journal Article
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Civil and Natural Resources Engineering
University of Canterbury. Geological Sciences
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2009
Authors
McCauley, C.
O’Sullivan, A.D.
Weber, P.
Trumm, D.
Abstract

Thirteen acid mine drainage (AMD) sites were monitored at Stockton Coal Mine near Westport, New Zealand to identify and quantify contaminants of concern and delineate their spatial and temporal variability. Metals (primarily Fe and Al) were the key contaminants and measured at concentrations exceeding off-site compliance targets or the Australia and New Zealand Environmental and Conservation Council (ANZECC) water quality guidelines. Dissolved metal concentrations ranged from 0.05-1430 mg/L Fe, 0.200-627 mg/L Al, 0.0024-0.594 mg/L Cu, 0.0052-4.21 mg/L Ni, 0.019- 18.8 mg/L Zn, <0.00005-0.0232 mg/L Cd, 0.0007-0.0028 mg/L Pb, <0.001-0.154 mg/L As and 0.103- 29.3 mg/L Mn and pHs ranged from 2.04-4.31. Results of mesocosm-scale treatability tests showed that biogeochemical reactors (BGCRs) incorporating mussel shells, pine bark, wood fragments (post peel) and compost increased pH to >6.7 and sequestered ≥98.2% of the metal load from Manchester Seep AMD at the maximum recommended loading rates determined during this study (0.8 mol total metals/m3 substrate). An average of 20.0 kg/day (7.30 tonnes/year) of metals could be removed from Manchester Seep AMD employing BGCRs. Currently, this AMD is effectively treated further downstream by the Mangatini fine limestone dosing plant; however, in the interest of assessing more cost-effective technologies, this research investigated BGCRs as a passive treatment option.

Description
Citation
McCauley, C., O’Sullivan, A.D., Weber, P., Trumm, D. (2009) Stockton Mine Acid Mine Drainage and Its Treatment using Waste Substrates in Biogeochemical Reactors Biogeochemical Reactors. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, in print.
Keywords
acid mine drainage (AMD), Stockton Coal Mine, mine-water chemistry, biogeochemical reactors (BGCRs), geochemistry, vertical-flow wetlands (VFWs), biochemical reactors (BCRs), sulphate-reducing bioreactors
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Field of Research::05 - Environmental Sciences::0502 - Environmental Science and Management::050206 - Environmental Monitoring
Fields of Research::41 - Environmental sciences::4104 - Environmental management::410405 - Environmental rehabilitation and restoration
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