Permeable Reactive Barriers of high efficiency have been developed for the treatment of acid mine- and rock drainage of the remediated abandoned lead-arsenic sulfide mine of Baccu Locci (Villaputzu-San Vito, Sardinia, Italy)
Summary
At the remediated mining site of Baccu Locci, Acid Mine Drainage flows from a former mining gallery and Acid Rock Drainage percolates from a newly constructed central disposal site, containing excavated and re-deposited mineral mining waste. The acid mining wastewater contains metal ions at toxic concentrations of tens to hundreds of milligrams per liter, requiring treatment before discharge into River Baccu Locci.
For the steep river valley in the remote mountainous area with semi-arid Mediterranean climate, passive treatment by means of filtration with a compact permeable barrier is required. Montana SpA designs and Integra Srl constructs two installations for an innovative porous mineral granule, developed by GeoChemTec. While supervising the application we successfully demonstrate the efficient immobilization of metals and the effective decrease of concentrations below Italian legal limits for discharge on surface water.