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Biological neutralization of acidic effluent from a decommissioned uranium mine through sulfidogenesis: Precipitation of metals and rare earth elements

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Autor(es):
Nogueira, Elis W. ; Carneiro, Rodrigo B. ; Licona, Frecia M. ; Couto, Pamela T. ; Dias, Maria E. S. ; Takeda, Paula Y. ; Brucha, Gunther ; Damianovic, Marcia H. R. Z.
Número total de Autores: 8
Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
Fonte: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING; v. 13, n. 5, p. 14-pg., 2025-10-01.
Resumo

Acid mine drainage (AMD) poses significant environmental challenges due to its low pH and high concentrations of sulfate and metals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anaerobic biological treatment of AMD from a decommissioned uranium mine by using a sulfidogenic bioreactor. The system was assessed for its ability to neutralize AMD, sustain microbial activity under acidic and metal-rich conditions, and promote the removal of rare earth elements (REEs), uranium, and metals. The AMD was characterized by low pH (<4) and high concentrations of metals (Al, Fe, Mn, Si, U) and REEs (La, Ce, Nd, Pr, Y). Over a 385-day reactor operating period, synthetic AMD (Phase I) was gradually replaced with real AMD in increments of 20 % (Phase II), 50 % (Phase III), and 75 % (Phase IV), using glycerol as an electron donor at a chemical oxygen demand/sulfate ratio of 1.0. The hydraulic retention times during these phases were 0.9 +/- 0.3, 1.2 +/- 0.2, 1.4 +/- 0.3, and 1.2 +/- 0.2 days for Phases I, II, III, and IV, respectively. The reactor maintained near-neutral pH and generated alkalinity throughout the reactor operation (>250 mg-CaCO3 L-1), mainly via sulfidogenesis pathway, without adding external alkalizing agents. The REE removal exceeded 90 % for REEs and U during a stable reactor operation, which demonstrated the resilience of synergistic interactions between fermentative (e.g., Treponema and Clostridium) and non-acidophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria, including Desulfovibrio and Desulfobacterium. This study draw attention to the potential of biological treatment as a sustainable strategy for managing AMD. (AU)

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