Wetlands for Acid Mine Drainage Treatment

by John C. Sencindiver, West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,
Jeffrey G. Skousen, West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Energy in the 90's

Abstract:

Wetlands are being constructed on mined lands to treat acid mine drainage. Most of these wetlands remove a substantial amount of iron and sulfate from the water, but manganese removal has been erratic. Increases in water pH have also been reported. Major mechanisms of metal removal are probably adsorption and ion exchange with organic and inorganic materials and microbial and chemical transformations. Currently, sulfate reduction is receiving increased attention by researchers. Much has been learned about wetland construction by trial and error, but more well-organized studies are needed to determine optimum size and design for water treatment.

Subject Headings: Water treatment | Water quality | Wetlands (fresh water) | Water pollution | Water resources | Coal mining | Mines and mining

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