THE EFFECTS OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER ON THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ACTIVELY TREATED ACID MINE DRAINAGE FLOC

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is water that has become polluted through contact with mine land, typically abandoned mine lands. When the exposed sulfide comes into contact with atmospheric oxygen and surface water, oxidation and hydrolysis reactions occur to create sulfuric acid. The chemical reaction for acid mine drainage is:

FeS₂(s) +3.5O₂ +H₂O⇒Fe²⁺ +2SO₄^2- +2H

The resulting sulfuric acid is then available to flow through rivers and streams, threatening water quality for hundreds of years. Iron oxides can form through passive and active AMD treatment methods, and what results is iron oxide floc. This study investigates the role of Fe²⁺ on the formation, settling time and volume of AMD treatment floc. Multiple organic acids are used as redox catalysts, and morphology of the floc will be determined through x ray diffraction.