THE INFLUENCE OF PEAT ON NEUTRALIZATION PROCESSES OF ACID MINE DRAINAGE WATERS

Abstract

The effect of peat on the processes of neutralization of acid mine drainage (AMD) waters was studied using ICP-OES and Jar test methods. Untreated peat (from the Vardenis deposit, Armenia) and acid-activated peat were used. Peat activation means the elution of metals sorbed on the peat surface with mineral acid. In this case, active sorption groups (in particular, carboxyl) are released from metals, and acidic groups begin to act by the cation-exchange mechanism. The introduction of peat (untreated and acid-activated) into AMD leads to a decrease in the amount of alkali used in neutralizing AMD. With an increase in pH, schwertmannite and basaluminite are formed, which sorb copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc, etc. The sorption study was carried out in the range up to pH 6.15, since at higher pH values, against the background of more intensive precipitation of metal hydroxides, the sorption effect in terms of removing metals from water becomes less noticeable.