Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a laboratory test on arsenic removal efficiency for ARD(Acid Rock Drainage) using limestone and apatite, and on heavy metals removal efficiencies for AMD(Acid Mine Drainage) using apatite and fish bone. As a result of the laboratory test, pH, arsenic removal rate of limestone & apatite are inversely proportional to flow rates and apatite removes 100% of arsenic while limestone removes 37% of arsenic at 0.6 ml/min/kg flow rate in case of ARD treatment. And the dissolution amount of apatite is twenty five times higher than that of limestone. In case of AMD treatment, fish bone shows higher dissolution rate than apatite, and pH of outlet water reacted with fish bone is higher than that reacted with apatite. The heavy metal removal rates of fish bone are also higher than that of apatite except arsenic removal rate. The precipitate resulted from fish bone reaction with AMD seems to be biological sludge type while that resulted from apatite with AMD is inorganic solid which can settle easily comparee with the biological sludge and can be cemented by gypsum. As the results, apatite can be used as a precipitant for the polluted mine waters showing wide range of pH and fish bone can be used for highly contaminated AMD.

Keywords laboratory test, ARD, AMD, removal rate, precipitates