Acid Mine drainage (AMD) treatment using constructed wetlands
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Date
2005
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
A study on the performance of a constructed wetland to treat Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) was carried out in two Horizontal Sub-surface Flow (HSSF) constructed wetlands; one planted with Typha domingensis plants and an unplanted cell used as a control. The wetlands were located at the University of Dar es Salaam (Main Campus). Both units were packed with limestone gravel as substrate and were divided into four equally sized sections along the length: the inlet zone, two central zones and outlet zone. Removal efficiencies of metals and sulphate as well l as change in pH (alkalinity generation) in water were used as performance indicators. It was found that pH increased by about 65 % (from around 4.5-6.0 to about 7.0-8.0), alkali nity generation was almost the same for both cells at about 44.4 % and 44.8 % of the influent akalinity from Typha system and control system, respectively. Sulphate was removed by about 91. I % in the planted wetland and by about 87 % in the control wetland. Copper was removed by 99. l % in the planted wetland and by 72.4 % in the control unit. The retention of copper in planted wetland was about 68% of the initial value and in substrate was about 51 .2 % and 44% of the initial values for Typha un it and control un it, respectively . A dynamic biogeochem ical model was developed by use of the STELLA software version 6.0.1. The model uses different processes to describe the transformation of copper in different compartments and simulates abilities of constructed wetlands to treat Acid Mine Drainage. The results showed that a constructed wetland can be used to treat acid mine drainage.
Description
Available in printed form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF TD 756.5.M5)
Keywords
Constructed wetlands, Acid mine drainage
Citation
Mlay, H (2005)Acid Mine drainage (AMD) treatment using constructed wetlands.Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam.