Assessment of permeable reactive barriers for sulphate reduction at the former Steep Rock Iron Mine site, Atikokan, Ontario

Abstract

This study assessed if a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) could be used to reduce sulphate and metal concentrations in Hogarth pit lake, a sulphate-toxic (up to 2,000 mg/L) pit lake at the former Steep Rock iron mine in Atikokan, Ontario. Both batch reactor and flow through reactor experiments were performed to simulate a PRB at the bench-scale in order to assess the sulphate reducing capacity of different organic matter ... Treatment 1 contained organic matter, creek sediment (sulphate reducing bacteria source), carbonate rock (acid neutralizing agent) and glacial till (non-reactive medium). Treatments 2 and 3 were similar to treatment 1, except that treatment 2 did not include creek sediment and treatment 3 contained molasses as a nutrient.