Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage by Reverse Osmosis

摘要

The report documents a study on the treatment of acid mine drainage by reverse osmosis. The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility of utilizing reverse osmosis to abate pollution due to acid mine drainage, and produce a water which could be used by industry or as a municipal water supply. A test site in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania was selected as a source of acid mine water for the study. A sample of this water was tested in a laboratory reverse osmosis unit to determine the design parameters for a 10,000 gallon per day demonstration unit. The results obtained during the demonstration period indicated that the reverse osmosis process has potential application in acid mine drainage treatment. A high quality water was produced which was suitable for use by industries or municipalities with a minimum of additional treatment. There are, however, operational problems which must be solved prior to utilizing reverse osmosis on a large scale. These include maintenance of high permeation rates through the membrane by reducing membrane fouling and determination of the optimum flow sheet for an acid mine treatment system utilizing reverse osmosis. (Author)