Comparison of Single and Two-Stage Ballasted Flocculation Processes for Enhanced Removal of Arsenic from Mine Water
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 2
Abstract
Single-stage and two-stage treatment processes using ferric sulphate () coagulation, lime precipitation, ballasted flocculation, and sedimentation were compared for the removal of high concentrations (i.e., ) of arsenic in a synthetic mine water (SMW). Single-stage treatment was found to reduce arsenic to in As(V) SMW and in As(III) SMW using either preoxidation with or higher pH and coagulant dose compared to As(V) (i.e., 9.0 to 9.5 versus 5.5 to 6.0 and 151 versus ), above a proposed national discharge guideline of . The two-stage treatment process was able to reduce total arsenic concentrations to for As(V) SMW using coagulation and ballasted flocculation alone in Stage 2, for As(III) with oxidation upstream of the second coagulation stage, and for As(III) with pH adjustment downstream of it. The two-stage process was shown to achieve optimum performance at colder operating temperatures (i.e., 3 versus 23°C).
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Josée Lalonde of VWS, and Heather Daurie of Dalhousie University.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 2 • February 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 12, 2014
Accepted: Aug 5, 2015
Published online: Sep 18, 2015
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Feb 18, 2016
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