TY - JOUR
T1 - High Efficacy Two-Stage Metal Treatment Incorporating Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag and Microbiological Sulfate Reduction
AU - Miranda, Evelyn M.
AU - McLaughlin, Caleb M.
AU - Reep, Jeffrey K.
AU - Edgar, Michael
AU - Landrum, Colton
AU - Severson, Carli
AU - Grubb, Dennis G.
AU - Hamdan, Nasser
AU - Hansen, Shane
AU - Santisteban, Leonard
AU - Delgado, Anca G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society
PY - 2024/2/9
Y1 - 2024/2/9
N2 - Lignocellulosic sulfate-reducing biochemical reactors (SRBRs) can be implemented as passive treatment for mining-influenced water (MIW) mitigating the potentially deleterious effects of MIW acidic pH, and high concentrations of metal(loid)s and SO42-. In this study, a novel two-stage treatment for MIW was designed, where basic oxygen furnace slag (slag stage) and microbial SO42- reduction (SRBR stage) were incorporated in series. The SRBRs contained spent brewing grains or sugarcane bagasse as sources of lignocellulose. The slag reactor removed >99% of the metal(loid) concentration present in the MIW (130 ± 40 mg L-1) and increased MIW pH from 2.6 ± 0.2 to 12 ± 0.3. The alkaline effluent pH of the slag reactor was mitigated by remixing slag effluent with acidic MIW before SRBR treatment. The SRBR stage removed the bulk of SO42- from MIW, additional metal(loid)s, and yielded a circumneutral effluent pH. Cadmium, copper, and zinc showed high removal rates in SRBRs (≥96%) and likely precipitated as sulfide minerals. The microbial communities developed in SRBRs were enriched in hydrolytic, fermentative, and sulfate-reducing taxa. However, the SRBRs developed distinct community compositions due to the different lignocellulose sources employed. Overall, this study underscores the potential of a two-stage treatment employing steel slag and SRBRs for full-scale implementation at mining sites.
AB - Lignocellulosic sulfate-reducing biochemical reactors (SRBRs) can be implemented as passive treatment for mining-influenced water (MIW) mitigating the potentially deleterious effects of MIW acidic pH, and high concentrations of metal(loid)s and SO42-. In this study, a novel two-stage treatment for MIW was designed, where basic oxygen furnace slag (slag stage) and microbial SO42- reduction (SRBR stage) were incorporated in series. The SRBRs contained spent brewing grains or sugarcane bagasse as sources of lignocellulose. The slag reactor removed >99% of the metal(loid) concentration present in the MIW (130 ± 40 mg L-1) and increased MIW pH from 2.6 ± 0.2 to 12 ± 0.3. The alkaline effluent pH of the slag reactor was mitigated by remixing slag effluent with acidic MIW before SRBR treatment. The SRBR stage removed the bulk of SO42- from MIW, additional metal(loid)s, and yielded a circumneutral effluent pH. Cadmium, copper, and zinc showed high removal rates in SRBRs (≥96%) and likely precipitated as sulfide minerals. The microbial communities developed in SRBRs were enriched in hydrolytic, fermentative, and sulfate-reducing taxa. However, the SRBRs developed distinct community compositions due to the different lignocellulose sources employed. Overall, this study underscores the potential of a two-stage treatment employing steel slag and SRBRs for full-scale implementation at mining sites.
KW - acid mine drainage
KW - heavy-metal remediation
KW - lignocellulose
KW - metal-bearing wastewater
KW - sulfate-reducing bioreactor
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U2 - 10.1021/acsestengg.3c00381
DO - 10.1021/acsestengg.3c00381
M3 - Article
SN - 2690-0645
VL - 4
SP - 433
EP - 444
JO - ACS ES and T Engineering
JF - ACS ES and T Engineering
IS - 2
ER -