DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14483/23448393.23475Published:
2025-12-09Issue:
Vol. 30 No. 3 (2025): September-DecemberSection:
Civil and Environmental EngineeringA Novel Rotational Limestone Treatment System for Effective Acid Mine Drainage Remediation
Un sistema novedoso de tratamiento rotacional de roca caliza para la remediación eficaz del drenaje ácido de minas
Keywords:
Coal mining, Acid mine drainage, rotational system, superficial degradation (en).Keywords:
Minería del carbón, drenaje ácido de mina, sistema rotacional, degradación superficial (es).Downloads
Abstract (en)
Context: The mining industry is the main culprit behind the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD). During coal extraction processes, sulfide minerals react with groundwater, releasing ions such as Fe2+ and Fe3+, sulfates (SO4-2), and protonic acidity (H+). The low pH of AMD can cause significant environmental damage. AMD remediation is usually achieved using alkaline systems, wherein the AMD passes through limestone to be neutralized. Nevertheless, this process requires prolonged treatment times and constant cleaning steps to remove the coating formed on the limestone, which reduces its effectiveness.
Method: This study evaluates a novel oxic-limestone rotational system for the treatment of AMD produced by the coal industry. The AMD collected was characterized in terms of pH, dissolved oxygen, Fe (Fe total, Fe2+, and Fe3+), and .
Results: The results demonstrate the optimal efficiency of the proposed system, reducing the treatment time from 120 h in conventional systems to 1.5 h when applying a ratio of 0.25k g of limestone per liter of AMD.
Conclusions: The rotational system enables the superficial degradation of the limestone, maintaining an active contact area for longer periods. This allows for optimized AMD remediation efficiency, reducing operating costs and necessitating fewer system cleanup steps.
Abstract (es)
Contexto: La industria minera es el principal responsable de la generación de drenaje ácido minero (DAM). Durante los procesos de extracción del carbón, los minerales sulfurados reaccionan con las aguas subterráneas, liberando iones como Fe2+ y Fe3+, sulfatos (SO4-2), y acidez protónica (H+). El bajo pH del DAM puede generar importantes daños medioambientales. La remediación del DAM generalmente se realiza a través de sistemas alcalinos, donde el DAM pasa a través de roca caliza para ser neutralizado. No obstante, este proceso requiere tiempos prolongados de tratamiento y etapas de limpieza constante para eliminar el recubrimiento formado en la roca, lo que reduce su eficacia.
Método: Este estudio evalúa un novedoso sistema rotacional de óxido-caliza para el tratamiento de DAM producido por la industria del carbón. El DAM recolectado se caracterizó en términos de pH, oxígeno disuelto, Fe (Fe total, Fe2+ y Fe3+), y SO4-2.
Resultados: Los resultados demuestran la eficiencia óptima del sistema propuesto, que reduce el tiempo de tratamiento de 120 h con sistemas convencionales a 1.5 h al aplicar una relación de 0.25 kg de caliza por litro de DAM.
Conclusiones: El sistema rotacional facilita la degradación superficial de la caliza, manteniendo un área de contacto activa durante periodos más largos. Esto permite optimizar la eficiencia de remediación del DAM, reduciendo los costes de operación y las etapas de limpieza requeridas por el sistema.
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