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Minerals
Volume 7
Issue 6
10.3390/min7060105
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Article

Heterotrophic Microbial Stimulation through Biosolids Addition for Enhanced Acid Mine Drainage Control

by
Omy T. Ogbughalu
1,
Andrea R. Gerson
2,
Gujie Qian
1,3,
Roger St. C. Smart
1,2,
Russell C. Schumann
1,4,
Nobuyuki Kawashima
3,
Rong Fan
1,
Jun Li
1 and
Michael D. Short
1,3,*
1
School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
2
Blue Minerals Consultancy, Middleton, SA 5213, Australia
3
Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
4
Levay and Co. Environmental Services, Edinburgh, SA 5111, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2017, 7(6), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/min7060105
Submission received: 11 May 2017 / Revised: 14 June 2017 / Accepted: 15 June 2017 / Published: 19 June 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogeochemistry of Acid Mine Drainage)
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Abstract

The effective control and treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) from sulfide-containing mine wastes is of fundamental importance for current and future long-term sustainable and cost-effective mining industry operations, and for sustainable management of legacy AMD sites. Historically, AMD management has focused on the use of expensive neutralising chemicals to treat toxic leachates. Accordingly, there is a need to develop more cost-effective and efficient methods to prevent AMD at source. Laboratory kinetic leach column experiments, designed to mimic a sulfide-containing waste rock dump, were conducted to assess the potential of organic waste carbon supplements to stimulate heterotrophic microbial growth, and supress pyrite oxidation and AMD production. Microbiological results showed that the addition of biosolids was effective at maintaining high microbial heterotroph populations and preventing AMD generation over a period of 80 weeks, as verified by leachate chemistry and electron microscopy analyses. This research contributes to the ongoing development of a cost effective, multi-barrier geochemical-microbial control strategy for reduced mineral sulfide oxidation rates at source.
Keywords: acid mine drainage (AMD); bioremediation; biosolids; heterotrophs; kinetic leach column; organic carbon acid mine drainage (AMD); bioremediation; biosolids; heterotrophs; kinetic leach column; organic carbon

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ogbughalu, O.T.; Gerson, A.R.; Qian, G.; Smart, R.S.C.; Schumann, R.C.; Kawashima, N.; Fan, R.; Li, J.; Short, M.D. Heterotrophic Microbial Stimulation through Biosolids Addition for Enhanced Acid Mine Drainage Control. Minerals 2017, 7, 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/min7060105

AMA Style

Ogbughalu OT, Gerson AR, Qian G, Smart RSC, Schumann RC, Kawashima N, Fan R, Li J, Short MD. Heterotrophic Microbial Stimulation through Biosolids Addition for Enhanced Acid Mine Drainage Control. Minerals. 2017; 7(6):105. https://doi.org/10.3390/min7060105

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ogbughalu, Omy T., Andrea R. Gerson, Gujie Qian, Roger St. C. Smart, Russell C. Schumann, Nobuyuki Kawashima, Rong Fan, Jun Li, and Michael D. Short. 2017. "Heterotrophic Microbial Stimulation through Biosolids Addition for Enhanced Acid Mine Drainage Control" Minerals 7, no. 6: 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/min7060105

APA Style

Ogbughalu, O. T., Gerson, A. R., Qian, G., Smart, R. S. C., Schumann, R. C., Kawashima, N., Fan, R., Li, J., & Short, M. D. (2017). Heterotrophic Microbial Stimulation through Biosolids Addition for Enhanced Acid Mine Drainage Control. Minerals, 7(6), 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/min7060105

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