Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Wood_Thesis_Final.pdf (7.37 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Lime Treatment of Coal Mine Spoil Impacted Soils in the Huff Run Watershed of Northeast Ohio

Wood, Daniel L,
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532101439596856

Abstract Details

2018, MS, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences.
The surface mining of coal leaves behind an abundance of surface waste material called coal mine spoil. Prior to the enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1972 and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, mine spoils and their associated mines were often left abandoned after production ceased. Active and abandoned mines are primary producers of acidic and sulfur-rich wastewater in the United States and it is estimated that it will cost $32-$72 billion dollars to remediate waters impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD). Once exposed to the surface, pyrite within these mine waste soils will begin to oxidize, releasing metals and acidity which can leach into nearby surface and groundwater systems. This work explores the efficacy of applying lime slurry, a potential low-cost approach, to coal mine spoil in order to determine mineralogical and geochemical factors controlling neutralization of acidity and sequestration of dissolved metals. Joint field and laboratory studies were conducted in order to determine the chemical and physical interactions that take place between a lime-slurry and coal mine spoil- and AMD impacted soils. The field portion of this study consisted of monitoring the changes in near surface water and solid phase composition of two coal spoil-dominated hillslopes which were treated with lime slurry. Parallel laboratory column experiments simulated rainwater passing through treated and untreated mine spoil in a controlled setting. Changes in solid phase composition during treatment were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Porewater composition was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Ion Chromatography (IC), and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). The results from the field pilot project are ambiguous and difficult to separate from natural processes. Porewater composition showed little response of pH or electrical conductivity (EC) to lime treatment, in contrast porewater and solid phase concentrations of Fe and Al did respond to addition of lime. Broadly, Fe was sequestered into the solid phase, whereas Al was leached out into solution. The results from the column experiments show a clear and repeatable evidence of lime infiltration and acid neutralization. Effluent from the columns treated with lime had higher concentrations of Ca, and elevated pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Further, consistent in part with the field project, Fe Mn, and Zn were sequestered into the solid phases, whereas Al and Cu were leached. Despite clear trends in the laboratory-based column experiment where the lime-to-soil ratio was high, the effects were either muted or undetected in the field pilot project where the lime-to-soil ratio was much lower. This suggests that more lime would need to be added to mine spoil in the field to achieve similar effect. However, this work also provides evidence which suggests that the application of lime can increase the mobilization of AMD contaminants, such as Al and Cu. A less alkaline lime slurry could be a practical and inexpensive method of treating coal mine spoil- and AMD impacted soils.
David Singer (Advisor)
Elizabeth Herndon (Committee Member)
Jeremy Williams (Committee Member)
104 p.
Environmental Geology; Geochemistry; Geology
Acid Mine Drainage; Acid Mine Drainage Neutralization; Coal Mining; Coal Mine Spoil; Mine Spoil; Mineral Weathering; Pyrite Oxidation; Soil Porewater pH; dissolved metals; mine contamination

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wood, , D. L. (2018). Lime Treatment of Coal Mine Spoil Impacted Soils in the Huff Run Watershed of Northeast Ohio [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532101439596856

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wood, , Daniel. Lime Treatment of Coal Mine Spoil Impacted Soils in the Huff Run Watershed of Northeast Ohio. 2018. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532101439596856.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wood, , Daniel. "Lime Treatment of Coal Mine Spoil Impacted Soils in the Huff Run Watershed of Northeast Ohio." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532101439596856

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1532101439596856
287
© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.