Evaluation of Combined Use of BOF Slag and Sugarcane Bagasse for the Passive Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage
Evaluation of the Combined Use of BOF Slag and Sugarcane Bagasse for the Passive Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage
 | Dennis G. Grubb, PHD, PEVice President for Research, Development and Technical SalesPhoenix Services, LLC |
Link to Vidyo Presentation: https://asureplay.idsflame.com/replay/showRecordingExternal.html?key=lXfY2hVo6cXD65q
PowerPoint Presentations:
AMD Slag-Bagasse Pilot System CBBG Presentation One
AMD Slag Bagasse Project CBBG Presentation Two
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Abstract: Dr. Grubb will present his ongoing research on the passive remediation of acid mine drainage (AMD). This work was initiated in Peru (and with CU Boulder) where sugarcane bagasse (shredded stalk after sugar removal) was found to be a locally abundant organic material that was capable of treated aggressive AMD without the need for other reagents or media. More recently, Dr. Grubb is evaluating the use of two sustainable materials (basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steel slag and sugarcane bagasse) to passively remediate acid mine drainage (AMD) in parallel column studies with the goal of designing a scalable pilot system in 2017. The AMD source used in the experiments is characterized by a pH~2-3 with iron and sulfate concentrations on the order of 300 and 8,000 mg/L, respectively. BOF steel slag (from Newcastle; Kwazulu-Natal) is a granular media with high pH buffering capacity and ability to remove dissolved metals and sulfate by a combination of sorption and precipitation mechanisms. Sugarcane bagasse (from Dalton, Kwazulu-Natal) is the fibrous, shredded cane stalk after sugar extraction that has high surface area and long term source of biodegradable carbon that can support sulfate reducing bacteria (SRBs) capable of reversing AMD conditions. Combined, these two sustainable media have the potential to significantly reduce costs associated with AMD treatment either as a pre-treatment step or stand alone, depending on the flows to be treated.
About the speaker: Dr. Grubb has more than 25 years combined academic, research and engineering consulting experience in environmental remediation, beneficial use, stabilization/solidification (S/S), environmental forensics and litigation support. Grubb has over 40 refereed journal publications in these areas. Dr. Grubb is a prior NSF CAREER, NSF-NATO Postdoctoral and Fulbright Fellowship awardee and has previously served as an editorial board member for the Journal of Hazardous Materials and ASCE Journals of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste and was the recipient of the 2014 ASCE Samuel Arnold Greeley Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE EWRI). In his current role, Dr. Grubb is responsible for research and development of various beneficial use applications for slag and other mill products on a worldwide basis. In 2015, Dr. Grubb’s team was responsible for the beneficial use of more than 2.6 million tons of slag materials into various applications in the US.