Environ. Sci. Technol. 1998, 32, 1972-1979
Selection of Reactive Mixtures for Use in Permeable Reactive Walls for Treatment of Mine Drainage K . R . W A Y B R A N T , † D . W . B L O W E S , * ,‡ A N D C . J . P T A C E K ‡,§ Golder Associates Ltd., 500-4260 Still Creek Dr., Burnaby, BC, V5C 6C6, Canada, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada, and National Water Research Institute, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7R 4A6, Canada
Porous, permeable, geochemically reactive walls, installed in situ in the path of migrating groundwater, present a promising passive treatment alternative for remediating metalcontaminated groundwater derived from oxidized mine wastes. Contaminants are removed from the groundwater as a result of bacterial sulfate reduction and the subsequent precipitation of sparingly soluble sulfide solids. The permeability and reactivity of eight organic-carbon reactive mixtures were assessed. The permeability ranged between