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Treatment of Wet Peat Mining Process Water with Acrotelm Peat Susanne E

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Treatment of Wet Peat Mining Process Water with Acrotelm Peat Susanne E 117 © IWA Publishing 2012 Water Quality Research Journal of Canada | 47.2 | 2012 Treatment of wet peat mining process water with acrotelm peat Susanne E. Walford, Peter F. Lee and Robert W. Mackereth ABSTRACT Mechanical dewatering of wet mined peat produced peat mining process water (PMPW) with low pH Susanne E. Walford (corresponding author) Peter F. Lee À À À (5.49) and high total suspended solids (TSS 432 mg L 1), Al (1.39 mg L 1), Fe (4.36 mg L 1), Hg Department of Biology, Lakehead University, À1 À1 À1 À1 (37.1 ng L ), MeHg (0.485 ng L ), Zn (55 μgL ), total nitrogen (TN 7.92 mg L ), total phosphorus Thunder Bay, μ À1 fi ON P7B 5E1 Canada (TP 303 gL ) and true colour (532 TCU). High removal ef ciencies were calculated for acrotelm peat E-mail: [email protected] fi – – lters (mesocosms) used to treat PMPW (TSS 45 83%; particulate organic carbon (POC) 47 89%; Robert W. Mackereth metals 53–100%; TN 85%; TP 81%), though final mesocosm leachate concentrations did not all Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ministry of Natural Resources, achieve Canadian Water Quality Guidelines. In one study, mesocosm leachate had higher colour and Lakehead University, Canada dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations than PMPW. Our mesocosm studies suggest an initial reduction in PMPW solids be considered by industry before peatlands are used as treatment systems. Key words | acrotelm mesocosms, biofuels, peat mining, peat process waters, wastewater treatment, water quality INTRODUCTION Canada possesses approximately 30% of the world’s total peat and an extraction of peat from sites with coarse woody reserve, second only to Russia (NWWG ). Though Cana- debris and sites not amenable to drainage (Monenco ). dian peatlands contain an estimated 153 Gt of carbon Environmental impacts for wet peat mining in Ontario have (Tarnocai ), its use has been limited to horticultural pro- been extrapolated from dry harvesting research because of a ducts rather than for energy (Daigle & Gautreau-Daigle lack of current knowledge (Gleeson et al. ). ). Current energy needs could alter peat use in Canada One wet mining environmental concern is the fate of at any time, particularly in northern and isolated commu- wastewaters produced from dewatering peat. Solids, nutri- nities with abundant peat resources. Of recent interest are ents, metals, colour and pH in peat mining process water the peat deposits surrounding the ‘Ring of Fire’ chromite min- (PMPW) summarized by Monenco () would not meet eral deposit in northwestern Ontario (Sylvester ). current Canadian Water Quality Guidelines (CWQG). A Canadian company (Peat Resources Ltd) has devel- Industry has proposed treatment of PMPW by distributing oped a proprietary technique to wet mine and pelletize peat it onto intact peatlands adjacent to mining, where filtration for use as a combustible biofuel. Pellets from processing wet through acrotelm peat may improve PMPW quality. Such peat may be utilized as local energy, being amenable to com- on-site treatment would maintain the portability of current bustion in both small-scale generators (Obernberger ) wet mining technology, thus reducing transportation of and large thermal plants (OME ). Though wet mining wet peat, process waters and/or pellets. The proposed treat- peat for energy occurred in the former USSR for over 40 ment appeared plausible since previous studies highlight the years, the practice is quite uncommon (Tibbetts ). Com- efficiency and benefits of peat-based systems to remove pared with standard methods of dry harvesting peatlands, chemicals of concern from a variety of industrial and wet mining advantages include a longer processing season municipal waste streams (Viraraghavan ; Couillard doi: 10.2166/wqrjc.2012.029 Downloaded from http://iwaponline.com/wqrj/article-pdf/47/2/117/379894/117.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 118 S. E. Walford et al. | Peat mining process water and treatment Water Quality Research Journal of Canada | 47.2 | 2012 , ; Bhatnagar & Minocha ) including runoff from peat production areas in Finland (Ihme et al. a, b; Heikkinen et al. ). To address knowledge gaps concerning water quality (pH, alkalinity, conductivity, metals (including methyl mer- cury, MeHg), nutrients, solids and organics) of PMPW produced from northwestern Ontario peat, experimental wet peat mining was conducted. The fen selected was ident- ified as possessing high value energy peat (DST ) and situated to meet regional energy needs (OME ). Acrotelm peat mesocosms were constructed to filter PMPW produced from the wet mined peat. The main objectives were to deter- mine whether acrotelm peat would significantly remove analytes of concern from dilutions of PMPW (treatments) compared with controls and to calculate the efficiency of acrotelm peat to remove analytes from PMPW. Figure 1 | Schematic of a peat mesocosm. MATERIALS AND METHODS Initial chemical analysis of mesocosm leachate found fi Mesocosm construction signi cant differences (analysis of variance (ANOVA), p 0.05) among mesocosm groups. Because an initial difference fi During the summer of 2008, hummock peat cores were cut by would affect the nal interpretation of data, an equilibrium handsaw to precisely fit 25 L plastic buckets (the mesocosms) period (approx. 60 d) consisting of dilution water appli- from an undisturbed area of the fen near the wet mined site cations and drainage of leachate via the drainage valves (40W 57033″ N; 90W 6020″ W). Careful handling prevented was required. Mesocosm DWT before and during studies peat compaction and destruction of vegetation. Hummock was maintained (Table 1). vegetation was typical for northwestern Ontario open poor fens, consisting of mainly Sphagnum sp. (e.g. S. fuscum, EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN S. magellanicum) interspersed with sedges and various eri- caceous plants. Mean bulk density of acrotelm peat from À Overview this 1,080 ha fen was 0.09 ± 0.04 g cm 1 (n ¼ 263; DST ). Each mesocosm (Figure 1) was fitted with a vertical piezometer. The piezometer had inlet holes over a 15 cm First, PMPW was extracted from wet mined peat and its length, wrapped in 500 μm Nitex. Inlets were nearest the water quality (pH, alkalinity, conductivity, redox, metals base of the bucket. The piezometers were later fitted with Table 1 | Treatment group depth to water table (DWT) for Study 1 treatment group meso- cosms (mean ± SD, n ¼ 43) over pre-treatment to post-treatment time period. bottom valves protruding through the base of the bucket Dilution water used to dilute peat mining process water (PMPW) to specified to facilitate sampling of mesocosm leachate. A sufficient percentages number of mesocosms were constructed to provide replica- Treatment group DWT (cm) tion in both studies. Mesocosms were housed in a T0 (0% PMPW) 20.5 ± 3.4 greenhouse and watered as required with dilution water to T1 (100% PMPW) 20.4 ± 3.0 prevent desiccation. Depth to water table (DWT) was T2 (50% PMPW) 20.9 ± 2.5 measured via the piezometer and defined as top of peat sur- T3 (33% PMPW) 19.2 ± 3.1 face to top of water surface. Downloaded from http://iwaponline.com/wqrj/article-pdf/47/2/117/379894/117.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 119 S. E. Walford et al. | Peat mining process water and treatment Water Quality Research Journal of Canada | 47.2 | 2012 (including MeHg), nutrients, solids and organics) compared cubic metre of acrotelm (hummock) peat. This was a best with current CWQG. Then, PMPW was applied to meso- estimate of what may occur during an actual mining oper- cosms as pulse impacts in two studies. Pulse impacts were ation, yet remained within the physical constraint imposed chosen as a best approximation to what would occur by mesocosm volume capacity. under ‘real world’ conditions (personal correspondence, The procedure on days that pulse impacts were applied Peat Resources Ltd). In Study 1, pulses of diluted PMPW to mesocosm treatment groups (days 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) (treatments) were applied to mesocosms to determine was as follows. First, DWT and peat height were measured. whether mean concentrations of analytes in mesocosm lea- Then, 4 L of diluted PMPW or control water was applied to chate would be significantly different from controls after two each mesocosm surface with a watering can (the pulse). weeks of exposure (ANOVA, p 0.05). Mesocosm leachate Finally, sufficient mesocosm leachate was drained within concentrations were also compared with CWQG. Solids an hour of application to restore DWT (approx. 20–30 cm were qualitatively observed in mesocosm leachate after below peat surface). Drainage of leachate was assumed to each pulse was applied. Therefore, Study 2 was conducted mimic natural water table movement and was similar to to quantify the relative amount of solids and organics eluting changes in water tables observed by Heikurainen et al. after each pulse of 100% PMPW was applied to a mesocosm () for laboratory additions to woody sedge-Sphagnum in rapid succession. Removal efficiencies of analytes were profiles. calculated for both studies. Specific details for each step Mesocosm leachate was sampled for chemical analysis follow. only on day 0 (pre-exposure) and day 14 (post-exposure) owing to the cost of screening numerous analytes in this Process water extraction initial study. Therefore, leachate water quality on day 14 reflects the ability of the mesocosms to retain analytes of Catotelm peat was wet mined from the site in spring 2008 interest in only the final application of PMPW, but after pro- with a backhoe excavator. Wet peat was mechanically dewa- longed exposure to PMPW (40 L over 14 days). Analytes tered hydraulically with a custom squeezer (30 cm × 18 cm measured were pH, redox, conductivity, alkalinity, solids area, 1.2 mm screen) producing a 900 L batch of PMPW (TSS, POC), dissolved organics (DOC, colour), anions, that was stored protected from light. Pond water pumps cations, metals (and MeHg) and nutrients (TN, TP, were used to homogenize PMPW when aliquots were ammonia).
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