Natural pretreatment and passive remediation of highly polluted acid mine drainage

Acid mine drainage (AMD) from the Iberian Pyrite Belt has high acidity and metal concentrations. Earlier pilot experiments, based on limestone sand dispersed in wood shavings (dispersed alkaline substrate; DAS) have been shown to be an efficient treatment option. However, complete metal removal was not achieved, principally due to the high ferrous iron concentration in the inflow AMD. In order to oxidize and remove iron, a natural Fe-oxidizing lagoon (NFOL) was added prior to treatment with limestone–DAS. The NFOL comprises several pre-existing Fe-stromatolite terraces and cascades, and a lagoon with a volume of 100 m3 built near the mine shaft. Downstream of the NFOL, the limestone–DAS treatment consists of two reactive tanks of 3 m3 each filled with limestone–DAS reactive substrate, connected in series with two decantation ponds of 6 m3 each and several oxidation cascades. The AMD emerging from the mine shaft displayed a pH near 3, a net acidity of 1800 mg/L as CaCO3 equivalents, and mean concentrations of 440 mg/L Zn; 275 mg/L Fe (99% Fe(II)); 3600 mg/L SO4; 250 mg/L Ca; 100 mg/L Al; 15 mg/L Mn; 5 mg/L Cu; and 0.1–1 mg/L As, Pb, Cr, Cd, Co, and Ni. The oxidation induced in the NFOL enhanced ferric iron concentration, showing an average of 65% oxidation and 38% retention during the monitoring period. The whole system removed a mean of 1350 mg/L net acidity as CaCO3 equivalents (71% of inflow); corresponding to 100% of Fe, Al, Cu, Pb and As, and 6% of Zn.

► A natural pretreatment and a passive remediation system were combined at the IPB.
► A high Fe oxidation and removal rates were achieved in the pretreatment.
► The use of a pretreatment led to a high acidity removal (71%) in the whole system.
► Complete Fe, Al, Cu, Pb and As water removal was obtained.