Study of Inorganic Pollutants Removal from Acid Mine Drainage by Hemp Hurds

Abstract

Sulphates in wastewaters have an origin as the by-products of a variety of industrial operations. A specific and major producer of such effluents, which contained sulphates and heavy metals, is the mining industry. These contaminants should be removed from wastewater using an adequate process of treatment. The paper deals with selected heavy metals (iron, cooper, and manganese) and sulphate removal from acid mine drainage outflowing from an abandoned mine in Smolnik (Slovakia) using the modified biosorbent - Holland hemp hurds. Pre-treatment of acid mine drainage was based on oxidation of ferrous cations from acid mine drainage by hydrogen peroxide and subsequent precipitation. The precipitate were analysed by infrared spectrometry which found the precipitate containing hydroxide and sulphate functional groups. During this process the concentration of sulphate decreased by 43.8 %. Hemp hurds modified by NaOH decreased concentration of Cu²⁺ in solution by about 70 %