Development of a low-tech treatment for neutral mine water : a case study

Abstract

Lovisagruvan is a Pb-Zn-Ag mine in mid-south Sweden, with a yearly production of some 40 000 tons. There are four main levels in the mine: 55, 105, 145 and 190 m below ground. Water is continously pumped at a rate of 5 m3/h, passing sedimentation pools at each of the four main levels in the mine and finally one above ground. A modified backfill mining is used and in order to visually separate the ore from the waste rock limestone is used as a separating layer. Limestone addition in combination with non-acid producing mineralisation generates a pH-neutral mine water. For many years the mine has had problems with high levels of zinc and lead in the mine water released to recipient. The primary contaminants, lead and zinc, were mainly found as particles or associated to particles. With a combination of several measures including a sandfilter and FeSO4 addition suspended matter was reduced 93 %, lead 91 % and zinc 71 %