Ecotechnological water quality control in acidic mining lakes part 1: desulfurication and morphometry

摘要

This contribution discusses the problem of acidification in mining lakes. Flooding with neutral or alkaline river water is now one of the most successful measures to obtain neutral conditions in these lakes. Nevertheless, a number of the lakes will be re-acidified by the constant discharge of groundwater through adjoining pits. Sustainable treatment is necessary to counter re-acidification and also to protect isolated lakes lacking contact to river systems. Therefore, a number of chemical and biological measures are currently being developed to adhere to water laws concerning fisheries or recreation. This article is focused a) on the characterization of acidic mining lakes as "acidic, low buffered hard water lakes" and b) on ecotechnological measures involving use of internal biological processes to overcome acidity. The most important microbial process, sulfate reduction, is analysed in relation to lake morphometry.