Wetlands for Acid Mine Wetlands for Acid Mine and Livestock Drainage and Livestock Drainage

TreatmentTreatmentBy: Gabe JenkinsBy: Gabe Jenkins

April 18April 18thth 2005 2005

Why is this Important?Why is this Important?

Most everyone in class comes from a coal Most everyone in class comes from a coal mining or a farming history.mining or a farming history.

Effects stream pH and water quality.Effects stream pH and water quality. Acidic streams and eutrophication do not Acidic streams and eutrophication do not

allow for aquatic life.allow for aquatic life. Runoff affects local streams, waterways, Runoff affects local streams, waterways,

and groundwater thus contaminating and groundwater thus contaminating drinking water.drinking water.

Wetlands for Acid Mine Drainage Wetlands for Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Treatment(AMD) Treatment

What is Acid Mine Drainage and What is Acid Mine Drainage and where does it come from?where does it come from?

Comes from a reaction with water, air, and Comes from a reaction with water, air, and pyrite and produces sulfuric acid. pyrite and produces sulfuric acid.

Pyretic rock is found below the coal seam Pyretic rock is found below the coal seam and is exposed during coal removal.and is exposed during coal removal.

Sulfuric acid in water lowers the pH to a very Sulfuric acid in water lowers the pH to a very acidic condition. acidic condition.

The acidic runoff also dissolves other heavy The acidic runoff also dissolves other heavy metals such as copper, lead, mercury, and metals such as copper, lead, mercury, and iron. iron.

Common Signs of Acid Mine Common Signs of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)Drainage (AMD)

Land that has had strip Land that has had strip mining or surface mining or surface mining.mining.

Red or orange colored Red or orange colored water from dissolved water from dissolved heavy metals.heavy metals.

No fish and very little No fish and very little or no aquatic lifeor no aquatic life

Very little or no aquatic Very little or no aquatic vegetation. vegetation.

Ways for treatmentWays for treatment

Aerobic WetlandsAerobic Wetlands

Water treatment plantsWater treatment plants

Limestone DrainageLimestone Drainage

Diversion WellsDiversion Wells

Wetland TreatmentWetland Treatment

Wetlands have the ability Wetlands have the ability to remove metals from to remove metals from mine drainage and to mine drainage and to neutralize AMD. neutralize AMD.

Wetlands contain microbes Wetlands contain microbes that have the ability to that have the ability to convert sulfates into convert sulfates into sulfides this process, sulfides this process, makes the water makes the water significantly less acidic. significantly less acidic.

Wetland Construction FactorsWetland Construction Factors

pHpH Wetland SizeWetland Size Water level Water level Water flowWater flow DestructionDestruction

pHpH

A acidic pH will not A acidic pH will not allow for plant survival allow for plant survival in a wetlandsin a wetlands

Lime can be added to Lime can be added to the water to help raise the water to help raise the pH.the pH.

Anoxic Limestone Anoxic Limestone Drain.Drain.

pH Cont.pH Cont.

A neutral pH is best A neutral pH is best Optimal range would be 6.0-8.0Optimal range would be 6.0-8.0 Inorganic oxidation reaction rates decrease Inorganic oxidation reaction rates decrease

a hundred-fold with each unit drop in pH.a hundred-fold with each unit drop in pH.

Wetland SizeWetland Size

Varies from a few Varies from a few hectares to more than hectares to more than 300 hectares300 hectares

Larger size the more Larger size the more plant life and nutrient plant life and nutrient cycling.cycling.

Large surface area Large surface area available to let the available to let the metals settle out of the metals settle out of the water.water.

Water LevelWater Level

Water level should be 6-18 Water level should be 6-18 inches.inches.

Shallow water zones Shallow water zones enhance oxygenation and enhance oxygenation and oxidizing reactions and oxidizing reactions and precipitation. precipitation.

Deeper water zones Deeper water zones provide storage areas for provide storage areas for precipitates but decrease precipitates but decrease vegetative diversity. vegetative diversity.

Water FlowWater Flow

Riffles and falls above the wetlands in the Riffles and falls above the wetlands in the limestone ditch help to increase oxygen levels limestone ditch help to increase oxygen levels before entering the wetland.before entering the wetland.

This increases the efficiency of the oxidation This increases the efficiency of the oxidation process and therefore the precipitation process process and therefore the precipitation process

This is important for iron precipitation. This is important for iron precipitation. Flow should be extremely slow inside the wetland.Flow should be extremely slow inside the wetland. The slower the flow the better the heavy metals The slower the flow the better the heavy metals

can settle out of the water and into the soil.can settle out of the water and into the soil. Flow can be altered by the amount of plant Flow can be altered by the amount of plant

composition.composition.

DestructionDestruction

The biggest problem The biggest problem for the destruction of a for the destruction of a wetland for AMD is the wetland for AMD is the beaver.beaver.

Plugs drains and Plugs drains and diverts the water flow diverts the water flow into unwanted areas. into unwanted areas.

Water Quality after Wetland Water Quality after Wetland TreatmentTreatment

A more neutral pHA more neutral pH

Loss of heavy metalsLoss of heavy metals

Cleaner waterCleaner water

Healthier streams with Healthier streams with fish and aquatic lifefish and aquatic life

Livestock Drainage TreatmentLivestock Drainage Treatment

Am I the problem?

Or am I ?

What’s all this crap about?What’s all this crap about?

Eutrophication in streamsEutrophication in streams Rise in water temperatureRise in water temperature Baby Blue SyndromeBaby Blue Syndrome Affects water quality in streams, ground Affects water quality in streams, ground

water, and drinking waterwater, and drinking water Caused by water that runs off animal Caused by water that runs off animal

manuremanure

What causes all this crap?What causes all this crap?

What causes the problem?What causes the problem?

Nitrates are formed Nitrates are formed from the animal from the animal organic matterorganic matter

Nitrates then enter the Nitrates then enter the water.water.

Water is either leached Water is either leached into ground or runs off into ground or runs off into streams and lakesinto streams and lakes

Eutrophication Graph

• Defined- the process that takes place when freshwater is 'enriched' by nutrients, especially nitrates and phosphates.

What can fix this problem?What can fix this problem?

WetlandsWetlands

Consider kidney’s of Consider kidney’s of the worldthe world

Benefits from wetlandsBenefits from wetlands

Provides a high level Provides a high level of treatmentof treatment

Is inexpensive to Is inexpensive to operateoperate

Inexpensive to Inexpensive to constructconstruct

Reduces, if not Reduces, if not completely eliminates completely eliminates odorodor

Can handle variable Can handle variable wastewater loadingswastewater loadings

Reduces the land area Reduces the land area needed for application needed for application of wastewaterof wastewater

Can be ascetically Can be ascetically pleasingpleasing

Provides wildlife Provides wildlife habitathabitat

Factors to consider when Factors to consider when constructing a wetlandconstructing a wetland

Number and size of Number and size of animalsanimals

Type of feed animals are Type of feed animals are fedfed

Amounts, timing, and Amounts, timing, and intensity of rainfallintensity of rainfall

Frequency of solids Frequency of solids removal from feedlotsremoval from feedlots

Relationship of removal to Relationship of removal to timing of rainfalltiming of rainfall

Most importantlyMost importantly

This can only be done This can only be done for waste waterfor waste water

Solids must be Solids must be removed from the removed from the waste water before waste water before they enter the wetlandthey enter the wetland

Solid waste intrusion Solid waste intrusion will kill a wetland will kill a wetland extremely fastextremely fast

How it worksHow it works

Water must flow through a Water must flow through a lagoon or settling tank lagoon or settling tank before entering the before entering the wetland to remove any wetland to remove any solid waste.solid waste.

Next the waste water Next the waste water enters the wetlandenters the wetland

Here plants and organisms Here plants and organisms in the wetland treat organic in the wetland treat organic waste and reduce levels of waste and reduce levels of contamination. contamination.

Potential pollutants are Potential pollutants are trapped in the wetland and trapped in the wetland and transformed into basic transformed into basic elements and plant elements and plant biomass.biomass.

The water then exits the The water then exits the wetland clean of nitrates wetland clean of nitrates and other pollutants and and other pollutants and enters into the water cycle.enters into the water cycle.

SummarySummary

Water is a limited source Water is a limited source and it must be taken care and it must be taken care of.of.

Wetlands are the kidney’s Wetlands are the kidney’s of the world and they can of the world and they can help to clean up our help to clean up our environmentenvironment

We are only just beginning We are only just beginning to understand the benefits to understand the benefits of wetlands. of wetlands.

I’m outta here!!I’m outta here!!