Evaluation of Ultrasound-assisted Modified Fly Ash for Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage

The aim of this chapter is to assess the suitability of utilizing fly ash (FA) and modified fly ash (MFA) in the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD). The effects of various experimental conditions such as mixing speed, fly ash dosage, contact time, and pH on the efficiency of metal removal from AMD was studied in batch experiments. For modification of FA, ultrasound (US) process was conducted at low frequency (20 kHz) to activate surface area and decrease particle size of FA at 90 W for 30 minutes. Chemical, physical and mineralogical compositions of FA, MFA and solid residues (SR) were determined using arrays of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques and particle size analysis. The removal efficiency of Al, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn and SO42− from AMD was compared using FA and MFA. According to the obtained results, ultrasound-assisted MFA provided successful results for metal removal in a shorter reaction time and with smaller dosage than FA. As the pH of the solution (ash:AMD) increased, the metal and SO42− concentrations in SR increased mainly due to precipitation; this data was verified with XRD and XRF analysis. Preliminary treatment of AMD from Etili coal mine (NW Turkey) indicates that MFA could be an effective and low-cost adsorbent for the treatment of AMD

Determining water and sediment quality related to lead-zinc mining activity

WOS: 000449559400003This study focuses on the Koru and Tesbihdere Pb-Zn mining districts. located at the upstream areas of the Umurbey dam basin. Mining activities in Koru, one of the longest operated mines in NW Turkey, date back to the beginning of the 1900s. The purpose of the study is to (1) determine the hydrochemical properties of the water resources and to assess the potential environmental consequences of mining activities in the Koru and Tesbihdere mining districts, and (2) investigate the effects caused by mining activities on the water resources and sediment quality in the Umurbey dam basin. Concentrations of As, Cd. Cu, Fe. Mn, Pb, and Zn in river sediments downstream of the Tesbihdere and Koru mining district, and in the Umurbey darn sediments were higher than the world average for river sediments. The geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor revealed that sediments were strongly polluted with Pb and Zn, moderately to strongly polluted with Cd and moderately polluted with Cu. The chemical analyses of water resources revealed that the maximum Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, and Cu concentrations reached 2890 mu g/l, 1785 mu g/l, 1180 mu g/l, 984 mu g/l. and 419 mu g/l, respectively. The Koru River is classified as polluted water according to Turkish inland water quality regulations. The environmental contamination problems in the local drainage system are caused by leakage from past and current tailing ponds into the Koru River