Chemical and biological cyanide destruction and selenium removal from precious metals tailings pond water.
Authors
Lien RH; Dinsdale BE; Gardner KR; Altringer PB
Source
EPD congress 90: proceedings of a symposium sponsored by the Extradition and Processing Division and held at the TMS Annual Meeting, February 19-22, 1990, Anaheim, California. Gaskell DR, ed. Warrendale, PA: Minerals Metals & Materials Society, 1990 Feb; :323-339
Link
NIOSHTIC No.
10011750
Abstract
The U.S. Bureau of Mines is investigating chemical and biological decontamination of complex wastewaters such as tailings pond water containing 280 ppm CN and 5 ppm Se as well as significant concentrations of arsenic, copper, iron, silver, and zinc. The most effective chemical procedure involves cyanide oxidation using hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite followed by selenium reduction using ferrous hydroxide. The effluent contains less than or equal to 1 ppm CN and 20 ppb Se; concentrations of other major contaminants meet Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards. Preliminary research indicates that biological cyanide oxidation is possible even in highly alkaline solutions (ph 10.5) containing high cyanide concentrations; indigenous bacteria destroyed 85 pct of the cyanide. Exploratory research shows that other bacteria removed up to 79 pct of the selenium from chemically oxidized, low-cyanide water. These promising results may lead to a final processing scheme that involves a combination of chemical and biological techniques.
Keywords
Waste treatment; Metals; Heavy metals; Environmental contamination; Environmental pollution
Publication Date
19900201
Document Type
OP; Conference/Symposia Proceedings
Editors
Gaskell DR
Fiscal Year
1990
ISBN No.
9780873391221
Identifying No.
OP 137-91; OP-47-90
NIOSH Division
SLRC
Source Name
EPD congress 90: proceedings of a symposium sponsored by the Extradition and Processing Division and held at the TMS Annual Meeting, February 19-22, 1990, Anaheim, California
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