Prediction of Acid Mine Drainage Treatment by Open Limestone-Alkaline Material Channel and Implications for the Large Scale Implementation of Passive Treatment

In decades, various studies on passive treatment methods of acid mine drainage (AMD) have been actively conducted in order to reduce the cost of AMD treatment. Open limestone channel is one of the most common methods and has already been implemented mainly in overseas. On the other hand, it is difficult to secure large channels in Japan due to its topography, we need to consider the use of alkaline materials with higher acid neutralization potential which enables successful treatment with narrower space. In this study, therefore, PAdeCS, a cement-derived environmental remediation agent, was used to remove the harmful metal elements by neutralization treatment. Then, we developed a simulation model assuming a combined system of open limestone channel and alkaline material (PAdeCS) channel and predicted the behavior of harmful metal elements within the combined channel. The simulation results showed that PAdeCS has extremely high acid neutralization potential, that high temperature is advantageous for neutralization treatment of harmful metal elements, and that the channel design needs to be changed depending on the initial drainage composition. Finally, a new flowchart for selecting the appropriate passive treatment method was proposed, which consists of three steps of the preferential removal of Fe, neutralization by limestone, and additional treatments.