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Use of propionic acid additions to enhance zinc removal from mine drainage in short residence time, flow-through sulfate-reducing bioreactors

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Catherine Gandy, Emeritus Professor Neil GrayORCiD, Obioma Mejeha, Dr Angela SherryORCiD, Professor Adam Jarvis

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).


Abstract

© 2022 The AuthorsThe effectiveness of liquid carbon additions to enhance zinc removal in laboratory-scale short hydraulic residence time (19 h) compost bioreactors receiving synthetic mine water with a high influent zinc concentration (45 mg/L) was investigated. Effective removal of such elevated zinc concentrations could not be sustained by sulfate reduction and/or other attenuation processes without carbon supplementation. Propionic acid addition resulted in improved and sustained performance by promoting the activities of sulfate reducing bacteria, leading to efficient zinc removal (mean 99%) via bacterial sulfate reduction. In contrast, cessation of propionic acid addition led to carbon limitation and the growth of sulfur oxidising bacteria, compromising zinc removal by bacterial sulfate reduction. These research findings demonstrate the potential for modest liquid carbon additions to compost-based passive treatment systems to engineer microbial responses which enhance rates of zinc attenuation in a short hydraulic residence time, enabling remediation of highly polluting mine drainage at sites with limited land availability.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Gandy CJ, Gray ND, Mejeha OK, Sherry A, Jarvis AP

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Environmental Management

Year: 2023

Volume: 327

Print publication date: 01/02/2023

Online publication date: 30/11/2022

Acceptance date: 21/11/2022

Date deposited: 19/12/2022

ISSN (print): 0301-4797

ISSN (electronic): 1095-8630

Publisher: Academic Press

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116862

DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116862

PubMed id: 36462479


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
CA18/2349
CA18/2377Coal Authority
CA18/2377Coal Authority

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