1. Nutrient and Sulfide Export From a Mine Drainage Passive Treatment System S.A. Yepez & R.W. Nairn 29 th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation June 13, 2012

2. Results Methods Introduction Conclusions

3. Introduction

4. Mine drainage – water and oxygen react with rock in mine void Elevated metals and sulfate Passive treatment system (PTS)

5. Nuisance Constituents Additional impacts – not typically monitored “Nuisance constituents” – potentially harmful concentrations of non-target contaminants Nutrient and sulfide export

6. Nuisance Constituent Impacts Nutrients, sulfide degrade water quality Eutrophication leads to algal blooms Algal senescence can impact treatment MRPTS polishing wetland, 02/2009

7. Literature Review Potential for nuisance constituent export from vertical flow bioreactors Export/removal varies with treatment process

8. Research Objective Determine nuisance constituent (nutrient and sulfide) inputs and outputs of each cell of a PTS Hypothesis: nuisance constituents seasonally exported by PTS

9. Methods

10. Study Site: Mayer Ranch Passive Treatment System (MRPTS) OX SF VF RA LB PW Photo taken 09/2011

11. Nuisance Constituent Analysis Sampling: Fall 2010-Summer 2011 Major species of N and P, total sulfide, metals Mass balance to determine export Plotted for seasonality Algal study of polishing wetland

12. Results

13. Target Contaminant Removal Sampling site------------------Loading rate (g/d)------------------ As*Cd*FePb*Zn Seep A17.82.9931,20022.02,090 Seep B35.56.4866,60046.04,180 Seep D3.970.717,2404.95509 Total inflow57.210.2105,00073.06,770 Outflow7.290.2547911.988.0 System removal519.94105,00061.16,690 *Effluent concentrations below detection limit; 1/2 value of practical quantification limit used for mass balance calculations

14. Nuisance Constituent Status ConstituentSystem Effluent (mg/L)Effluent Criteria (mg/L)Source Total Nitrogen0.30—1.01 ± 0.260.36 (lakes), 0.69 (streams) EPA, 2000 Total Phosphorus0.03—0.59 ± 0.140.020 (lakes), 0.037 (streams) EPA, 2000 Total Sulfide<0.5—3.4 (about 40% H 2 S)0.002 as H 2 SEPA, 1986

15. Nutrient Export ------------------TP (g/d)------------------------------------TN (g/d)------------------ FallSpringSummerFallSpringSummer Influent1,1801,8901,060491565456 OX export-1,160-1,830-1,010-344-163-286 SF export-10-19-33-4940-78 VF export38466254-12377 RA export-7-241177-12720 LB export-19-115231-1650 PW export-26-13-2-645530 Effluent2172283195232509 Net export-1,160-1,810-777-296-33353

16. Total Nitrogen

17. Total Phosphorus

18. Seasonal Removal Seasonal Export Removal Seasonal Export Nitrogen Processes - MRPTS

19. Phosphorus Processes - MRPTS Removal Export Removal Seasonal Removal Removal

20. Polishing Wetland Eutrophication N:P ratio 1.15:1 Blue-green algae dominated Genera Lyngbya, Anabaena Dominant diatom genera: Nitzschia, Navicula

21. Potential Treatment Impacts BGA not widely grazed by zooplankton Algal senescence impedes re-aeration Some Anabaena are N 2 -fixers Anabaena produce neurotoxins, hepatoxins, foul odors

22. Total Sulfide Export ---------------------Total Sulfide (g/d)--------------------- FallSpringSummer Influent--- 132* OX export--- SF export--- VF export1,4601,6706,020 RA export-1,380-1,620-2,430 LB export-83-53-214 PW export--- -5,860 Effluent--- 1,000 Net exportappx. 0 868 *Influent BDL; ½ detection limit used for mass balance

23. Total Sulfide

24. Sulfide Processes - MRPTS Export Removal Seasonal Removal N/A

25. Conclusions

26. Nuisance Constituent Export All constituents exported by at least one treatment process All constituents demonstrated seasonality Hypothesis supported

27. Future Studies Nuisance constituent processes within cells Changes in nuisance constituent concentrations over system lifetime Nuisance constituent mitigation in PTS design

28. Acknowledgments Funding: American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Grand River Dam Authority, University of Oklahoma Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds: B. Furneaux, J. LaBar, L. Oxenford Grand River Dam Authority: R. Simmons, S. Ziara Oklahoma Biological Survey: L. Bergey, N. Desianti University of Oklahoma Biological Station: K. D. Hambright, K. Glenn, T. Ward Local Environment Action Demanded: Rebecca Jim

29. Literature Cited U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2000. Ambient water quality recommendations: information supporting the development of state and tribal nutrient criteria, rivers and streams in Nutrient Ecoregion IX. Office of Water, Washington, D.C. EPA 822-B-00-019. http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/nutrients/upload /2007_09_27_criteria_nutrient_ecoregions_rivers_rivers_9.pdf http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/nutrients/upload /2007_09_27_criteria_nutrient_ecoregions_rivers_rivers_9.pdf U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1986. Quality criteria for water: 1986. EPA 440/5-86-001. http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/upload/20 09_01_13_criteria_goldbook.pdf http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/upload/20 09_01_13_criteria_goldbook.pdf U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1984. Protection of Environment: Secondary Treatment Regulation. 40 CFR 133.102. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/npdesreg.cfm?program_id=45 http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/npdesreg.cfm?program_id=45

30. Questions?