New Paper on Co-treatment of Acid Mine Drainage with Domestic Wastewater

In a new paper published by Theresa Hughes of the Water Technology Research Group the concept of treating acid mine drainage with conventional domestic wastewater using activated sludge has been shown to be a viable option. Using a synthetic drainage toxicity tests showed that activated sludge can withstand high proportions of AMD (EC50 19–52% AMD by volume). Laboratory-based sequencing batch reactors were also used to examine the treatability of AMD. Results from OUR inhibition tests on acclimatized activated sludge indicated that over a relatively short timescale (21 days), the activated sludge microbial community can adapt to AMD sufficiently so that shock loads of metals and acidity do not significantly inhibit OUR.
Theresa A. Hughes and N. F. Gray (2012) Acute and Chronic Toxicity of Acid Mine Drainage to the Activated Sludge Process. Mine Water and Environment, 31, 40–52 (DOI 10.1007/s10230-011-0168-y) Link

PhD Student Wins Award

Congratulations to PhD Research Student Theresa Hughes of the water Technology Research Group, who won the best student paper award at the 2011 national meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation held at Bismark in the USA for her paper 'Co-treatment of acid mine drainage with municipal wastewater using the activated sludge process: preliminary treatability studies.'  The paper has been published in the conference proceedings: Reclamation: Sciences Leading to Success edited by Professor  R.I. Barnhisel, pages 283-305, published by the ASMR, Lexington .

TCD Avoca Mines/River Publications

Several people have asked for a list of the Internal Reports that we have published on the Avova Mines and its impact on the Avoca River.  These were done mainly in the 1990's with more recent research published in journals.  There is also significant work availble in thesis format.  Below is a list of the internal reports that are available.  There are two reports which were Governmnet Reports that are confidential and so are not included both dealing with plans to rehabilitate the mines.

• Sullivan, M. and Gray, N.F. (1992) An evaluation of the fisheries potential of the Avoca catchment. Technical Report 9, Water Technology Research, Dublin, 47pp.
• Gray, N.F. (1995) Flow calculation in the River Avoca: flow calculation and flow data. Technical Report: 10, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-11-8) Revised July, 1995.
• Gray, N.F. and Doyle, T.M. (1995) Characterisation of acid mine drainage generating sites. Technical Report: 11, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-12-6)
• Gray, N.F. (1995) Water quality of the surface waters at Avoca Mines and the Avoca River: Intensive sampling period May to October, 1994 (Interim report). Technical Report: 12, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-13-4)
• Gray, N.F. (1995) Main adit flow and metal discharge rates. Technical Report: 13, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-14-2)
• Gray, N.F. (1995) Field assessment of acid mine drainage contamination in surface waters. Technical Report: 14, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-15-0)
• Kilroy, A. and Gray, N.F. (1994) A review of treatability, toxicity and biodegradability test methods. Technical Report: 15, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-16-9)
• Gray, N.F. (1995) Influence of secondary sulphate mineral formation on the impact of acid mine drainage to surface waters. Technical Report: 16, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-17-7)
• Byrne, C. and Gray, N.F. (1995 ) Environmental impact of acid mine drainage on the Avoca River: Effects of habitat types on biological monitoring of the macro invertebrate fauna. Technical Report: 17, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-18-5
• Byrne, C. and Gray, N.F. (1995) Environmental impact of acid mine drainage on the Avoca River: Acute toxicity experiments in the field using macro invertebrates. Technical Report: 18, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-19-3)
• Herr, C. and Gray, N.F. (1995) Environmental impact of acid mine drainage on the Avoca River: Metal fluxes in water and sediment. Part I Introduction to metal accumulation in riverine sediments. Technical Report: 19, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-20-7).
• Herr, C. and Gray, N.F. (1995) Environmental impact of acid mine drainage on the Avoca River: Metal fluxes in water and sediment. Part II Metal contamination of riverine sediments. Technical Report: 20, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-21-5).
• Herr, C. and Gray, N.F. (1995) Environmental impact of acid mine drainage on the Avoca River: Metal fluxes in water and sediment. Part III Metals in water and suspended particulate matter.Technical Report: 21, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-22-3).
• Gray, N.F. (1995) An objective index for the assessment of the contamination of surface and ground waters by acid mine drainage. Technical Report: 22, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-23-1)
• Gray, N.F. (1995) A substrate classification index for the visual assessment of the impact of acid mine drainage in lotic systems. Technical Report: 24, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-25-8)
• Doyle, T.M. and Gray, N.F. (1995) Protocol for monitoring and predicting the impact of acid mine drainage: Designing and setting up a geographical information system (GIS). Technical Report: 25, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-26-6
• Sullivan, M., Gray, N.F. and O'Neill, C. (1995) Synoptic overview of the Avoca-Avonmore catchment and the Avoca Mines. Technical Report: 26, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-27-4)
• Gray, N.F. and Sullivan, M. (1995) The environmental Impact of acid mine drainage. Technical Report: 27, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-28-2)
• Herr, C. and Gray, N.F. (1995) Protocol for monitoring and predicting the impact of acid mine drainage: sediment sampling. Technical Report: 28, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-29-0) 
• Gray, N.F. (1995) Procedure for the estimation of the impact of acid mine drainage to surface waters. Technical Report: 29, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-30-4)
• O'Neill, C., Herr C. and Gray, N.F. (1995) A survey of soil and vegetation in the area surrounding the East Avoca Mine, Co. Wicklow. Technical Report: 31, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-32-0)
• Gray, N.F. (1995) Biorehabilitation of the acid mine drainage phenomenon by accelerated bioleaching of mine waste: Executive summary of the work done at Trinity College, Dublin. Technical Report: 33, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-34-7).
• Herr, C. and Gray, N.F. (1995) Seasonal variation of metal contamination in riverine sediments of the Avoca River with regard to seasonal differences. Technical Report: 34, Water Technology Research, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin. (ISBN 1-872220-35-5).

Review on Acid Mine Drainage Treatment

Link

Theresa Hughes, a PhD researcher with the Water Technology Research Group  has just published a review on acid mine drainage treatment in the new book Mine Drainage and Related Problems edited by Brock C. Robinson. The full reference is:

Hughes, T.A. and Gray, N.F. (2010) Effectiveness and Sustainability of Active and Passive Systems for the Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage and the Recovery of Metals: A Review, In Mine Drainage and Related Problems (ed. B.C. Robinson) pp. 1-69 Nova Science, New York