Abstract

The purposes of this study are to examine a field test on heavy metal removal efficiency for AMD(Acid Mine Drainage) using fish bone and apatite, and to compare those results of the laboratory & the field tests. The duration of the field test was about one month and flow rates of AMD varied from 2.53 l/min to 12.8 l/min. From the result of the field test, removal efficiencies of apatite and those of fish bone are high for As, Fe, and Pb while those of fish born is higher than those of apatite for Al, Cd, Cu and Zn which are similar to the result of the previous laboratory test. In particular, average arsenic removal efficiency of apatite is higher(84%) than that of fish
bone(75%) like the result of the previous laboratory test. In case of precipitates of phosphate compounds which are generated from chemical reaction between apatite/fish bone and AMD, those generated from apatite/AMD reaction form powder-shape while those created from fish bone/AMD reaction seem to be sludge. Therefore, apatite will be used as a precipitant for mine drainages having wide range of pH based on previous studies while fish bone will be applied as a precipitant for AMD having lower pH and high concentration of heavy metals.

Keywords field test, AMD, apatite, fish born, removal efficiency