Treatment of Araib acidic mine – influenced water with Sudanese trona deposits (ATROUN)‎

Abstract EN

The investigation of six samples of Acidic Mine-Influenced Water (AMIW) from Ariab area, Red Sea Hills, northeastern part of Sudan, showed high pollution signs.

The waste water parameters examined showed that , the acidity, sulphate contents, total iron Fe, copper Cu, zinc Zn, manganese Mn, cobalt Co and cadmium Cd were all highly above the effluent discharge limits.

Composite trona (atroun) sample from northwest Darfur, which is used for treatments, was analyzed for the major and minor constituents, the analysis showed that the total alkalinity was 123400 mg of CaCO3/dm3, sand and insoluble matter of 10.75%, sodium carbonate content of 33.14%, sodium bicarbonate of 6.57%, sodium sulphate of 8.23% and sodium chloride content of 23.34% w/w.

The contents of heavy and environmentally toxic elements (such as Fe, Co, Ca, Cd, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Pb) were all below the effluent discharge limits.

The treatment of Ariab AMIW with Atroun solution at pH 10.0 for 2- and 24- hour settling periods showed promising signs as treatment alkali and many parameters were brought down to the threshold limits specified by effluent discharge standards.

In the treated samples, the total Fe was 100% removed, Cd and Co were removed to values below the limits.

High removal percentages of Cu, Mn and Zn were obtained in most of the treated samples in both settling periods, though, some of the values didn’t conform to standard effluent limits.

Unfortunately the sulphate content however was increased more than that found in the original samples due to the introduction of sulphate from impure atroun used for the treatment.

KEYWORDS: Ariab, acid mine-influenced water, trona, acidity, pollution, toxic elements.