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EPSRC Reference: GR/L55421/01
Title: OPTIMISATION OF OCHRE ACCRETION AT SOURCE: EXPLORING A NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR REMEDIATION OF MINEWATER POLLUTION
Principal Investigator: Younger, Professor PL
Other Investigators:
Anderson, Professor GK
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Coal Authority Pre Nexus Migration
Department: Civil Engineering and Geosciences
Organisation: Newcastle University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 September 1997 Ends: 31 August 2000 Value (£): 125,166
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Assess/Remediate Contamination
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Absorption and surface-catalysed oxidation of iron occurs in an uncontrolled manner, causing extenisve degradation of surface water quality, where ferrunginous waters emerge from abandoned mines. The chemistry of these processes is well understood for lab systems using pure reagents and synthesised colloidal surfaces. These processes offer a potential, low-cost passive treatment method for minewaters at sites where acitve treatment or constructed wetlands are not physically or economically feasible. However, laboratory conditions are not representative of the size, complexity, duration and temporal variability of real ferrunginous discharges from abandoned mines. We therefore propose to investigate absorption and surface-catalysed oxidation of iron in test reactors installed at a representative field site. These reactors will contain various media with high specific surface area in order to accelerate the oxidation of iron and resulting accretion of ochre. The duration of contaminant release will be assessed by investigating the discharge rates and hydrochemistry of flooded workings that feed the reactors, providing a time-stream basis for cost-benefit analysis. Physico-chemically based mathematical modelling of iron removal in the reactors will be used to quantify operation parameters and long-term cost-benefits for possible full-scale treatment.
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Organisation Website: http://www.ncl.ac.uk