Characterization and reactivity assessment of natural organic substrates for sulphate-reducing bacteria in AMD treatment

A study was made investigating natural organic carbon sources for sulfate reducing bacteria (SRBj, that could be used in permeable reactive barriers (PRB) and in other in situ passive treatment systems for the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) by sulfate reduction. This study was made in two steps: The first step was to characterize the natural organic substances using several analyses, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), easily available substances (EAS) and total kjeidahi nitrogen (TKN). The natural substrates were maple wood chips, sphagnum peat moss, leaf compost, conifer compost, poultry manure and conifer sawdust. The second step was to test, in duplicate, the reactivity (in terms of sulfate reduction) of these carbon sources, that of a mixture of them (maple wood chips, leaf compost, poultry-manure), and that of ethanol in a 70-day batch experiment. The inhibition provided by formaldehyde was also tested on the substrate mixture. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...