The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical Species
In this study, the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) using vertically flowing wetland was explored. The wetland was enriched with <i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i> as a decontaminating media and soil as the substrate. Water was percolated through the substrate and the throughput samples w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Minerals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/5/477 |
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| author | Beauclair Nguegang Vhahangwele Masindi Titus Alfred Makudali Msagati Memory Tekere |
| author_facet | Beauclair Nguegang Vhahangwele Masindi Titus Alfred Makudali Msagati Memory Tekere |
| author_sort | Beauclair Nguegang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this study, the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) using vertically flowing wetland was explored. The wetland was enriched with <i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i> as a decontaminating media and soil as the substrate. Water was percolated through the substrate and the throughput samples were collected and characterized every five days for a period of 30 days. The obtained results revealed a tolerant index of 1.03 for <i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i>, and a net reduction of metals and sulfate. The removal efficacy of chemical species was observed to obey the following order: Fe (71.25%) > Zn (70.40%) > Mn (62%) > Al (56.68%)> SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> (55.18%) > Ni (35%) > Cu (18.83%). The removal of chemical species was further aided by the used substrate, and this could be attributed to the accumulation of chemical species on the soil through precipitation, adsorption, and phyto-retention. As such, it could be deduced that the substrate plays a significant role in the removal of metals, while the grass and external factors accounted for the rest of the chemical species attenuation. The translocation assessment revealed that the distribution of chemical species was observed to be predominant in the roots, except manganese, which was transferred in the shoot (67%). The XRF, XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDS analysis revealed the presence of AMD chemical species in the substrate and the grass components, hence confirming that the plants are playing a huge role in the removal of contaminants from AMD. The PH REdox EQuilibrium (in C language) (PHREEQC) geochemical model confirm that metals existed as di-and-trivalent complexes in AMD. Lastly, available metals were precipitated as metals hydroxides and oxy-hydrosulfates by the substrate. In light of the obtained results, vertically flowing wetland could be used for the passive treatment of AMD, and it will play a huge role in active and abandoned mines. However, prolonged assessment should be undertaken to understand its performance over a notable period of time. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:47:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e4471823f3a647238a271b45e46df505 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:47:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Minerals |
| spelling | doaj.art-e4471823f3a647238a271b45e46df5052023-11-21T18:00:07ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2021-04-0111547710.3390/min11050477The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical SpeciesBeauclair Nguegang0Vhahangwele Masindi1Titus Alfred Makudali Msagati2Memory Tekere3Department of Environmental Science, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), University of South Africa (UNISA), P.O. Box X9, Florida 1710, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental Science, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), University of South Africa (UNISA), P.O. Box X9, Florida 1710, South AfricaInstitute of Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), University of South Africa (UNISA), P.O. Box 392, Florida 1710, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental Science, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), University of South Africa (UNISA), P.O. Box X9, Florida 1710, South AfricaIn this study, the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) using vertically flowing wetland was explored. The wetland was enriched with <i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i> as a decontaminating media and soil as the substrate. Water was percolated through the substrate and the throughput samples were collected and characterized every five days for a period of 30 days. The obtained results revealed a tolerant index of 1.03 for <i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i>, and a net reduction of metals and sulfate. The removal efficacy of chemical species was observed to obey the following order: Fe (71.25%) > Zn (70.40%) > Mn (62%) > Al (56.68%)> SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> (55.18%) > Ni (35%) > Cu (18.83%). The removal of chemical species was further aided by the used substrate, and this could be attributed to the accumulation of chemical species on the soil through precipitation, adsorption, and phyto-retention. As such, it could be deduced that the substrate plays a significant role in the removal of metals, while the grass and external factors accounted for the rest of the chemical species attenuation. The translocation assessment revealed that the distribution of chemical species was observed to be predominant in the roots, except manganese, which was transferred in the shoot (67%). The XRF, XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDS analysis revealed the presence of AMD chemical species in the substrate and the grass components, hence confirming that the plants are playing a huge role in the removal of contaminants from AMD. The PH REdox EQuilibrium (in C language) (PHREEQC) geochemical model confirm that metals existed as di-and-trivalent complexes in AMD. Lastly, available metals were precipitated as metals hydroxides and oxy-hydrosulfates by the substrate. In light of the obtained results, vertically flowing wetland could be used for the passive treatment of AMD, and it will play a huge role in active and abandoned mines. However, prolonged assessment should be undertaken to understand its performance over a notable period of time.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/5/477acid mine drainagevertically flowing wetlandtreatmentphytoremediation<i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i> |
| spellingShingle | Beauclair Nguegang Vhahangwele Masindi Titus Alfred Makudali Msagati Memory Tekere The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical Species Minerals acid mine drainage vertically flowing wetland treatment phytoremediation <i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i> |
| title | The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical Species |
| title_full | The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical Species |
| title_fullStr | The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical Species |
| title_short | The Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage Using Vertically Flowing Wetland: Insights into the Fate of Chemical Species |
| title_sort | treatment of acid mine drainage using vertically flowing wetland insights into the fate of chemical species |
| topic | acid mine drainage vertically flowing wetland treatment phytoremediation <i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/5/477 |
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