2014 GSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia (19–22 October 2014)

Paper No. 298-5
Presentation Time: 10:00 AM

TREATING METALS IN ACID MINE DRAINAGE USING SLOW-RELEASE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE


MILLER, Sam, Geological Sciences, Ohio University, 304 Clippinger Laboratories, Athens, OH 45701, CHEONG, Young-Wook, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Taejon, 305-350, Korea, Republic of (South), KIM, Yongje, Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), Daejeon, 34132, Korea, Republic of (South), JEON, Byong-hun, Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 220-710, Korea, Republic of (South) and LEE, Eung Seok, Geological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701

Metal concentrations from acid mine drainage (AMD) pose a significant threat to aquatic systems worldwide as a result of past and current mining operations. This study tested the viability of using slow-release hydrogen peroxide (SR-HP) to oxidize and remove ferrous iron (Fe2+) from AMD. Fenton’s reagent forms from a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Fe2+ available from AMD, creating an advanced oxidation process. The SR-HP forms were developed by dispersing sodium percarbonate (Na2CO3·1.5H2O2) salts in resin matrix. The SR-HP released H2O2 in flowing water at a peak release rate of 28 mg/min during the initial hour and continued to release H2O2 at a lower, stable release rate. When AMD water collected from an abandoned mine site in Ohio was flown through a glass column containing a SR-HP, Fe2+concentrations were reduced by more than 90% (from ~80 mg/L to ~ 8 mg/L). The SR-HP forms can be strategically installed in the field to reduce metal concentrations in AMD.