Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bioremediation of a Stagnant Polluted Acid Mine Drainage Using a Clay-Lime Spiked Sludge and Bacterial Degradation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Geobiotechnological Solutions to Anthropogenic Disturbances

Part of the book series: Environmental Earth Sciences ((EESCI))

  • 313 Accesses

Abstract

Effects of a clay-lime spiked sewage sludge and fresh decomposable ryegrass on the mitigation of an acid drainage were studied in the laboratory. Treatments (dry ameliorant weight/leachate ratio) were: (1) sludge (air-dried) at rates of 0, 8, 16 and 24 %, (2) ryegrass at 0, 1, 1.5 and 2 % (dry weight), (3) sludge (at the above-mentioned rates) and 1.5 % ryegrass mixture. Measurements of mitigation (according to the criteria of changes in pH, Fe, S, Al and heavy metals) made every 10th day for 100 days showed ryegrass/sludge combination the most effective while sustaining mitigation longest, with or without the influence of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB). sulphate and Fe in the acid drainage decreased in the order: sludge-ryegrass > sludge ryegrass by 180, 40, 19; and 96, 83 and 54 % respectively, compared with controls. An 11-fold decrease in soluble Al was caused by the highest rate of the combined sludge-ryegrass treatment but Al was doubled by the sludge-only treatment and only minimally affected (2 % reduction) by the ryegrass-only treatment. For the sludge plus ryegrass treatments at the highest rate of application, pH levels increased significantly, from 2.3 to 17 units and within 20 days of SRB activation, the concentration of Co, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn decreased respectively: 3-, 15-, 90-, 3- and 50-fold.

Original article: Bioremediation of acid drainage using decomposable plant material and sludge. Environmental Geology, Vol. 40, Issue 1/2, pp. 195–215.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahlrichs JL (1962) Bonding of organic polymers to clay minerals. Diss Abstr 22:2121

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad F, Tan KH (1985) Effect of Lime and organic matter on soybean seedlings grown in aluminium toxic soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50:656–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander M (1977a) Soil microbiology, 2nd edn. Wiley, Chichester, pp 362–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Alexander M (1977b) Symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Introduction to soil microbiology. Wiley, New York, pp 305–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Amato M (1983) Decomposition of plant material in Australian soils. Aust J Soil Res 21:563–570

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldock JA, Aoyama M, Oades JM, Gran CD (1994) Structural amelioration of a South Australian red-brown earth, using calcium and organic amendments. Aust J Soil Res 32:571–594

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barrow NJ, Spencer K, McArthur WM (1969) Effects of rainfall and parent material on the ability of soils to adsorb sulphate. Soil Sci 108:120–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bear F (1968) Chemistry of the soil. In: Bear F (ed) American chemistry society monograph. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bechard G, Rajan S, Gould WD (1993) Characterization of a microbiological process for the treatment of acidic drainage. In: Tarma AE, Apel ML, Brierley CL (eds) Biohydrometalurgical technologies. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, CANMET, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada Ottawa, Ontario, pp 277–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Bechard G, Yamazaki H, Gould W, Bedard P (1994) Use of cellulosic substrates for the microbial treatment of acid mine drainage. J Environ Qual 23:111–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bell LC, Ward SC, Kabay ED, Jones CJ (1989) Mine tailings reclamation in Australia—an overview. In: Walker DG, Power CB, Pole MW (1989) (eds) In: Proceedings of the conference Reclamation, a global perspective, Calgary, Canada, vol 2. 27–31 August 1989, Rep no RRTAC 89-2, Alberta Land conservation and Reclamation Council, Edmonton, pp 769–778

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Yaakow S (1973) pH buffering of pore water of recent anoxic marine sediments. Limnol Oceanogr 18:86–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berner RA, Scott MR, Thomlinson C (1970) Carbonate alkalinity in the pore waters of anoxic marine sediments. Limnol Oceanogr 15:544–549

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boyle M (1990) Biodegradation of land applied sludge. J Environ Qual 19:640–644

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruschi M, Goulhen F (2006) New bioremediation technologies to remove heavy metals and radionuclides using Fe (III )-sulphate- and Sulfur reducing bacteria; In: Singh SN, Tripathi RD (eds) Environmental bioremediation technologies, Springer Publication, NY, pp 35–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang IS, Shin PK, Kim BH (2000) Biological treatment of acid mine drainage under sulphate-reducing conditions with solid waste materials as substrate. Water Res 34:1269–1277

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Charles D (1998) Wasteworld. New Sci 157(2119):32–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell WE, Patrick WH Jr (1968) sulphate reduction in soil: effect of redox potential and pH. Science 159:86–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eisler R, Wiemeyer SN (2004) Cyanide hazards to plants and animals from gold mining and related water issues. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol 183:21–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott P, Ragusa S, Catcheside D (1998) Growth of sulphate reducing bacteria under acidic conditions in an upflow anaerobic bioreactor as a treatment system for acid mine drainage. Wat Res 00:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Figueroa L, Seyler J, Wildeman T (2004) Characterization of organic substrates used for anaerobic bioremediation of mining impacted waters. In: Proceedings of the international mine water association conference, Newcastle, pp 43–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibert O, de Pablo J, Cortina JL, Ayora C (2002) Treatment of acid mine drainage by sulphate-reducing bacteria using permeable reactive barriers: a review from laboratory to full-scale experiments. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 1:327–333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gillman GP (1974) The influence of net charge on water dispersible clay and sorbed sulphate. Aust J Soil Res 12:173–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillman GP (1985) Influence of organic matter and phosphate content on the point of zero charge of variable charge components in oxidic soils. Aust J Soil Res 23:643–646

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gonen N, Kabasakal OS, Ozdil G (2004) Recovery of cyanide in gold leach waste solution by volatilization and absorption. J Hazard Mater 113(1–3):231–236

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greenland DJ (1965) Interaction between clays and organic compounds in soils. Part II. Adsorption of soil organic compounds and its effect on soil properties. Soil Fert 28:521–532

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grindley P (1998) Chief mines engineer. Brukung a Mines, South Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Gyure RA, Konopka A, Brooks A, Doemel W (1990) Microbial sulphate reduction in acidic (pH 3) strip-mine lakes. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 73:193–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Hard B, Friedrich CS, Babel W (1997) Bioremediation of acid mine water using facultatively methylotrophic metal-tolerant sulphate reducing bacteria. Microbiol Res 152:65–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris MA (2009) Structural improvement of age-hardened gypsum-treated red mud wastes using readily decomposable phyto-organics. Environ Earth Sci 56(8):1517–1522

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris MA, Ragusa S (2000) Bacterial mitigation of pollutants in acid drainage using decomposable plant material and sludge. Environ Geol 40(1±2):195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Havas M (1990) Recovery of acidified and metal-contaminated lakes in Canada. In: Norton SA, Lindberg SE, Page AL (eds) Acid precipitation, vol 4, pp 187–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes MHB (1980) The role of natural and synthetic polymers in stabilising soil aggregates. In: Berkeley RCW, Lynch JM, Melling J, Rutter PR, Ellis VB (eds) Microbial adhesion to surfaces. Ellis Horwood, Chichester, pp 262–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Herhily AT, Mills AL (1985) sulphate reduction in freshwater sediments receiving acid mine drainage. Appl Environ Microbiol 49:179–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinesly TD, Jones RL, Ziegler EL, Tyler JJ (1977) Effects of annual and accumulative applications of sewage sludge on assimilation of zinc and cadmium by corn (Zea mays L.). Environ Sci Technol 11:182–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horvath DJ, Koshut RA (1981) Proportion of several elements found in sewage effluent and sludge from several municipalities in West Virginia. J Environ Qual 10:491–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hue NV, Craddock GR, Adams F (1986) Effect of organic acids on aluminium toxicity in subsoils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50:28–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalin M, Fyson A, Smith MP (1993) ARUM acid reduction using microbiology. In: Biohydrometallurgical technologies

    Google Scholar 

  • Koschorreck M, Frömmichen R, Herzsprung P, Tittel H, Wendt-Potthoff K, (2002) The function of straw for in situ remediation of acidic mining lakes: results from an enclosure experiment. Water Air Soil Pollut 2:97–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Koschorreck M, Boehrer B, Friese K, Geller W, Schultze M, Wendt-Potthoff K (2011) Oxygen depletion induced by adding whey to an enclosure in an acidic mine pit lake Ecol. Eng. 37(12):1983–1989

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobo K, Fujisawa T (1963) Studies on the clay-humus complex, 3. Adsorption of humus acid by clay. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 9:36–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kroth EM, Page JB (1946) Aggregate formation in soils with special reference to cementing substances. Proc Soil Sci Soc Am 11:27–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar RN, McCullough CD, Lund MA (2011) How does storage affect the quality and quantity of organic carbon in sewage for use in the bioremediation of acidic mine waters? Ecol Eng 37:1205–1213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar RN, McCullough CD, Lund MA (2013) Upper and lower concentration thresholds for bulk organic substrates in bioremediation of acid mine drainage. Mine Water Environ 32:285–292. doi:10.1007/s10230-013-0242-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen VJ, Schierup H (1981) The use of straw for removal of heavy metal from waste water. J Environ Qual 10(2):188–193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lottermoster BG (2003) ISBN: 3-540-00-526-9. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp 3–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyew D, Knowles R, Sheppard J (1994) The biological treatment of acid mine drainage under continuous flow conditions in a reactor. Trans I Chem E 72:42–47

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCullough CD, Lund MA (2011) Bioremediation of acidic and metalliferous drainage (AMD) through organic carbon amendment by municipal sewage and green waste. J Environ Manage 92:2419–2426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCullough CD, Lund MA, JM May (2006) Microcosm testing of municipal sewage and green waste for full-scale remediation of an acid coal pit lake, in semi-arid tropical Australia. In: Proceedings of the 7th international conference on acid rock drainage

    Google Scholar 

  • McCullough CD, Steenbergen J, te Beest C, Lund MA (2009) More than water quality: environmental limitations to a fishery in acid pit lakes of Collie, south-west Australia. In: Proceedings of the IMWA conference, Pretoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills AL (1985) Acid mine waste drainage: microbial impact on the recovery of soil and water ecosystems. In: Tate RL, Klein DA (eds) Soil reclamation processes. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 35–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosher JB, Figueroa L (1996) Biological oxidation of cyanide: a viable treatment option for the minerals processing industry. Miner Eng 9:573–581

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muyzer G, Stams AJM (2008) The ecology and biotechnology of sulphate-reducing bacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 6:441–454

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narwal RP, Singh BR, Panhwar AR (1983) Plant availability of heavy metals in a sludge-treated soil: effect of sewage sludge and soil pH on the yield and chemical composition of rape. J Environ Qual 12:358–365

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Norton SA (1983) The chemical role of lake sediments during lake acidification and de-acidification. In: Proceedings of the 11th Nordic symposium on sediment, Universitet Oslo, pp 7–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton SA, Kahl JS, Henriksen A, Wright RF (1990) Buffering of pH depressions by sediments in streams and lakes. In: Norton SA, Lindberg SE, Page AL (eds) Acidic precipitation, vol 4., Soils, aquatic processes and lake acidificationSpringer, Berlin, pp 132–157

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pashley RM (1985) electromobility of mica particles dispersed in aqueous solutions. Clay Clay Minerals 3:193–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peine A, Peiffer S (1998) In-lake neutralization of acid mine lakes. In: Geller W, Klapper H, Salomons W (eds) Acidic mining lakes. Springer, Berlin, pp 47–632

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce FJ, Dowdy RH, Grigal OF (1982) Concentrations of six trace metals in some major Minnesota soil series. J Environ Qual 11:416–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • QGRM (2002) Queensland government dept of natural resources and mines State Planning Policy 2/02 Guideline Acid sulphate Soils Version 2. http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/resources/policy/spp-guidelines-oct-02-v2.pdf

  • Queensland Government (2015) http://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/soil/soil-testing/soil-terms/

  • Quirk JP (1960) Negative and positive adsorption of chloride by kaolinite. Nature 188:253–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramasamy K, Kamaludeen, Sara PB (2006) Bioremediation of metals: microbial processes and techniques. In: Singh SN, Tripathi RD (eds) Environmental bioremediation technologies. Springer Publication, NY, pp 173–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson WK, Lutrick MC, Yuan TL (1982) Heavy applications of liquid-digested sludge on three ultisols: effects on soil chemistry. J Environ Qual 11:278–282

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romero FM, Prol-Ledesma RM, Canet C, Alvarez LN, Perez-Vazquez R (2010) Acid drainage at the inactive Santa Lucia mine, western Cuba: natural attenuation of arsenic, barium and lead, and geochemical behavior of rare earth elements. Applied Geochemistry 25(5):716–727

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rubo A, Raf K, Jay R, Norbert S, Wolfgang H (2006) Alkali Metal Cyanides. In: Ullmann's encyclopedia of industrial chemistry. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany. doi:10.1002/14356007.i01_i01

  • Schindler DW, Wagemann R, Cook RB, Ruszcynski T, Prokopowich J (1980) Experimental acidification of lake 223, experimental lakes area: background data and the first three years of acidification. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 37:342–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzer M, Skinner SIM (1964) Organo-metallic interactions in soils. 3. Properties of iron- and aluminium-organic matter complexes, prepared in the laboratory and extracted from soil. Soil Sci 98:197–203

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schofield RK, Samson HR (1954) Flocculation of kaolinite due to the attraction of oppositely charged faces. Discuss Faraday Soc 18:135–145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sen AM, Johnson B (1999) Acidophilic sulphate-reducing bacteria: candidates for bioremediation of acid mine drainage. Process Metallurgy 01/1999; 9:709-718. doi:10.1016/S1572-4409(99)80073-X

    Google Scholar 

  • Siller H, Winter J (1998) Degradation of cyanide in agroindustrial or industrial wastewater in an acidification reactor or in a single-step methane reactor by bacteria enriched from soil and peels of cassava. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 50(3):384–389

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha RK, Dalsukh V, Sinha S, Singh S, Herat S (2009) Bioremediation of contaminated sites: a low-cost nature’s biotechnology for environmental clean-up by versatile microbes, plants, and earthworms. In: Timo F, Johann H (eds) Solid waste management and environmental remediation. ISBN: 978-1-0741-761-3. Nova Science Publishers, Inc

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh Y, Singh B, Khind CS (1992) Nutrient transformations in soils amended with green manures. Adv Soil Sci 20:238–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Stark LR, Kolbash HJ, Webster HJ, Stevens SE, Dionis KI, Murphy ER (1988) The Simco #4 wetlands: biological patterns and performance of a wetland receiving mine drainage. In: Mine drainage and surface mine reclamation. IC 9183. Bureau of Mines, US Dept. of Interior, Pittsburgh, vol 1, pp 332–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Strosnider WH, Nairn RW (2010) Effective passive treatment of high strength acid mine drainage and raw municipal wastewater in Potosı´, Bolivia using simple mutual incubations and limestone. J Geochem Explor 105:34–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swift MJ, Heal OW, Anderson JM (1979) Decomposition in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Blackwell, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Theng BKG (1974) The chemistry of clay-organic reactions. Adam Hilger, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Theng BKG (1980) Soils with variable charge. New Zealand Society of Soil Science

    Google Scholar 

  • Torma AE, Apel ML, Brierly CL (1995) (eds) The minerals, metals and materials society. Boojum Research Ltd., Toronto, Canada, pp 312–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuttle JH, Dugan PR, Randles CI (1969) Microbial sulphate reduction and its potential utility as an acid mine water pollutant abatement procedure. Appl Microbiol 17:297–302

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich B (1991) An ecosystem approach to soil acidification. In: Ulrich B, Sumner ME (eds) Soil acidity. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • USP Technologies (2016) Cyanide Treatment with H2O2. www.h2o2.com/industrial/applications.aspx?pid=106&. Accessed May 9, 2016

  • Waybrant KR, Blowes DW, Ptacek CJ (1998) Selection of reactive mixtures for use in permeable reactive walls for treatment of mine drainage. Environ Sci Tech 32:1972–1979

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yeoh NS, Oades JM (1981) Properties of soils and clays after acid treatment. 1 Clay minerals. Aust J Soil Res 19:147–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zehnder AJB, Stumm W (1988) Geochemistry and biogeochemistry of anaerobic habitats. In: Zehnder AJB (ed) Biology of anaerobic microorganisms. Wiley Interscience, New York, pp 1–38

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the following for their very helpful suggestions during the writing of this paper: Professor Martin Williams, Dr. P. Rengasamy and Dr. Vic Gostin of the University of Adelaide; Dr. Graham Taylor of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Glen Osmond, South Australia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Jamaica

    Mark Anglin Harris

  2. Centre for Groundwater Studies, CSIRO PMB 2, Glen Osmond, South Australia, 5064, Australia

    Santo Ragusa

Authors
  1. Mark Anglin Harris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Santo Ragusa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark Anglin Harris .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Harris, M.A., Ragusa, S. (2016). Bioremediation of a Stagnant Polluted Acid Mine Drainage Using a Clay-Lime Spiked Sludge and Bacterial Degradation. In: Geobiotechnological Solutions to Anthropogenic Disturbances. Environmental Earth Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30465-6_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation