Anaerobic passive treatment systems remediating high-strength mine impacted water (MIW) have not displayed consistent success. A promising new substrate, crab-shell chitin, has been shown to effectively treat acidic MIW. Previous data indicates that crab-shell chitin provides improved remediation of AMD over the traditional spent mushroom compost (SMC) and limestone mixture used in vertical flow wetlands. However, previous research was conducted using low-strength MIW. This study utilizes high-strength MIW from an abandoned mine site in Cambria County, PA (Klondike site) to determine the effectiveness of treatment with crab-shell chitin. The treatment system at the Klondike site currently consists of a failed vertical flow wetland which utilizes the traditional substrates of SMC and limestone.
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