Abstract

JIMENEZ-RODRIGUEZ, A.M. et al. Biological sulphate removal in acid mine drainage using anaerobic fixed bed reactors with cheese whey as a carbon source. Lat. Am. appl. res. [online]. 2010, vol.40, n.4, pp.329-335.. ISSN 0327-0793.

The effect of the hydraulic retention time and the sulphate-total COD ratio on the performance of an anaerobic biological process applied to acid mine drainage water (AMD) was evaluated using cheese whey as a carbon source. Laboratory-scale fixed bed bioreactors operating at 25 ± 2 ºC were used in the experiments. Maximum sulphate reduction and hydrogen sulphide production were achieved at a hydraulic retention time of 8 days and at a sulphate-total COD ratio of 0.5. Under these conditions, the sulphate removal was found to be 68.1% while the hydrogen sulphide production was 0.27 L/day. At the same time, the total COD removal obtained was 55.4%.

Keywords : Acid Mine Drainage (AMD); Cheese Whey; Sulphate Removal; Carbon Source; Sulphate-Total COD Ratio.

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