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Treatment efficiency of iron-rich acid mine drainage (AMD; pH 3, and 2 and 4 g/L Fe) was tested in a laboratory tri-unit pilot-scale reactor (2.65 m 3 ) for 1 year. The first unit consisted of a passive biochemical reactor (PBR1), filled with reactive mixture (50% of manure, sawdust, maple chips, compost, urea, sediment, and sand; 50% of calcite), with the aim to neutralize acidity and to partially remove metals. The second unit contained wood ash and acted as neutralizer and iron retention filter (by sorption and precipitation). The last unit was a second polishing PBR2, filled with reactive mixture (98% of manure, sawdust, maple chips, compost, urea, sediment, and sand; 2% of calcite), which aim was to remove the residual metals. The results showed that pH increased to about 6 and redox potential decreased significantly (from 550 mV to -100 mV). Iron, the most challenging metal in the AMD, decreased from 4 g/L (the highest tested concentration) to approximately 100 mg/L. The performance of the multistep treatment system was controlled by the capacity of the wood ash to immobilize iron.

Multi-step passive systems for the treatment of iron-rich acid mine drainage (Fe-rich AMD) perform satisfactorily at the laboratory scale. However, their field-scale application has revealed dissimilarities in performance, particularly with respect to hydraulic parameters. In this study, the assessment of factors potentially responsible for the variations in performance of laboratory and field-scale multi-step systems was undertaken. Three laboratory multi-step treatment scenarios, involving a combination of dispersed alkaline substrate (DAS) units, anoxic dolomitic drains, and passive biochemical reactors (PBRs), were set up in 10.7-L columns. The field-scale treatment consisted of two PBRs separated by a wood ash (WA) reactor. The parameters identified as possibly influencing the performances of the laboratory and field-scale experiments were the following: AMD chemistry (electrical conductivity and Fe and SO 4 2- concentrations), flow rate (Q), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (k sat ). Based on these findings, the design of an efficient passive multi-step treatment system is suggested to consider the following: (1) Fe pretreatment, using materials with high k sat and low HRT. If a PBR is to be used, the Fe load should be < 26 g/m 3 substrate/day (Fe < 200 mg/L) and SO 4 2- < 110 g/m 3 substrate/day; (2) PBR/DAS filled with a mixture with at least 20% of neutralizing agent; (3) include Q and k sat (> 10 -3  cm/s) in the long-term prediction. Finally, mesocosm testing is strongly recommended prior to construction of full-scale systems for the treatment of Fe-rich AMD.

The heterogeneity of waste rock piles is due to the wide and variable grain size distribution of waste rock and construction methods leading to complex internal structures. The general objective of this work was to better understand the effect of such heterogeneity on the coupled transfer processes acting within waste rock piles producing Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). For this purpose, parametric numerical simulations were conducted with the TOUGH AMD numerical simulator, considering 1) three random spatial distributions of the same material properties to assess the resulting behavior, 2) four ranges of material properties with the same spatial distribution to evaluate the effect of the degree of heterogeneity, and 3) the effect of compacted layers due to circulation of heavy equipment during construction. Results show that fine-grained (denser with lower permeability) material present near the boundary of a pile can limit air entry. Coarse materials promote preferential flow of gas and water vapor. Fine-grained materials beneath the pile surface favor the internal condensation of water vapor and thus minimize water loss. The initiation of secondary gas convection cells requires a minimal degree of heterogeneity, which is closely related to the range of permeability between the coarse and the finer material ratio (k(coarse)/k(fine)). The presence of coarse grained material in the pile does not necessarily lead to more convection and higher AMD production. The magnitude of convection rather depends on the amount of fine-grained material and its distribution in the pile. Results also show that low-permeability compacted layers strongly limit convection. Results thus support waste rock pile construction methods integrating fine-grained materials or compacted layers to minimize AMD production.

The treatment of mine drainage-impacted waters generates considerable amounts of sludge, which raises several concerns, such as storage and disposal, stability, and potential social and environmental impacts. To alleviate the storage and management costs, as well as to give the mine sludge a second life, recovery and reuse have recently become interesting options. In this review, different recovery and reuse options of sludge originating from active and passive treatment of mine drainage are identified and thoroughly discussed, based on available laboratory and field studies. The most valuable products presently recovered from the mine sludge are the iron oxy-hydroxides (ochre). Other by-products include metals, elemental sulfur, and calcium carbonate. Mine sludge reuse includes the removal of contaminants, such as As, P, dye, and rare earth elements. Mine sludge can also be reused as stabilizer for contaminated soil, as fertilizer in agriculture/horticulture, as substitute material in construction, as cover over tailings for acid mine drainage prevention and control, as material to sequester carbon dioxide, and in cement and pigment industries. The review also stresses out some of the current challenges and research needs. Finally, in order to move forward, studies are needed to better estimate the contribution of sludge recovery/reuse to the overall costs of mine water treatment.

The abandoned Manitou mine site has produced acid mine drainage (AMD) for several decades. In order to limit the detrimental environmental impacts of AMD, different rehabilitation scenarios were proposed and analyzed. The selected rehabilitation scenario was to use fresh tailings from the neighboring Goldex gold mine as monolayer cover and to maintain an elevated water table. In order to assess the impact of the Goldex tailing deposition on the hydrogeochemistry of the Manitou mine site, a network of 30 piezometers was installed. These piezometers were used for continuous measurement of the groundwater level, as well as for water sampling campaigns for chemical quality monitoring, over a 3-year period. Hydrochemical data were analyzed using principal component analysis. Results clearly showed the benefic impact of fresh tailing deposition on the groundwater quality around the contaminated area. These findings were also confirmed by the evolution of electrical conductivity. In addition to the improvement of the physicochemical quality of water on the Manitou mine site, new tailing deposition induced an increase of water table level. However, at this time, the Manitou reactive tailings are not completely submerged and possible oxidation might still occur, especially after ceasing of the fresh tailing deposition. Therefore, complementary rehabilitation scenarios should still be considered.

The tools developed for acid mine drainage (AMD) prediction were proven unsuccessful to predict the geochemical behavior of mine waste rocks having a significant chemical sorption capacity, which delays the onset of contaminated neutral drainage (CND). The present work was performed in order to test a new approach of water quality prediction, by using a chelating agent solution (0.03 M EDTA, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in kinetic testing used for the prediction of the geochemical behavior of geologic material. The hypothesis underlying the proposed approach is that the EDTA solution should chelate the metals as soon as they are released by sulfide oxidation, inhibiting their sorption or secondary precipitation, and therefore reproduce a worst-case scenario where very low metal attenuation mechanisms are present in the drainage waters. Fresh and weathered waste rocks from the Lac Tio mine (Rio tinto, Iron and Titanium), which are known to generate Ni-CND at the field scale, were submitted to small-scale humidity cells in control tests (using deionized water) and using an EDTA solution. Results show that EDTA effectively prevents the metals to be sorbed or to precipitate as secondary minerals, therefore enabling to bypass the delay associated with metal sorption in the prediction of water quality from these materials. This work shows that the use of a chelating agent solution is a promising novel approach of water quality prediction and provides general guidelines to be used in further studies, which will help both practitioners and regulators to plan more efficient management and disposal strategies of mine wastes.