AbstractIn the present study, continuous fixed bed column runs were carried out in an attempt to evaluate the feasibility of using bone char for the removal of manganese from acid mine drainage (AMD). Tests using a laboratory solution of pure manganese at typical concentration levels were also performed for comparison purposes. The following operating variables were evaluated: column height, flow rate, and initial pH. Significant variations in resistance to the mass transfer of manganese into the bone char were identified using the Thomas model. A significant effect of the bed height could only be observed in tests using the laboratory solution. No significant change in the breakthrough volume could be observed with different flow rates. By increasing the initial pH from 2.96 to 5.50, the breakthrough volume was also increased. The maximum manganese loading capacity in continuous tests using bone char for AMD effluents was 6.03 mg g-1, as compared to 26.74 mg g-1 when using the laboratory solution. The present study also performed desorption tests, using solutions of HCl, H2SO4, and water, aimed at the reuse of the adsorbent; however, no promising results were obtained due to low desorption levels associated with a relatively high mass loss. Despite the desorption results, the removal of manganese from AMD effluents using bone char as an adsorbent is technically feasible and attends to environmental legislation. It is interesting to note that the use of bone char for manganese removal may avoid the need for pH corrections of effluents after treatment. Moreover, bone char can also serve to remove fluoride ions and other metals, thus representing an interesting alternative material for the treatment of AMD effluents.

The present study investigated batch kinetics and the batch equilibrium of manganese removal from acid mine drainage (AMD) using bone char as an adsorbent. Equilibrium tests revealed that the Langmuir-based maximum manganese uptake capacity was 22 mg g-1 for AMD effluents and 20 mg g-1 for laboratory solutions at a pH ranging from 5.5 to 5.7. The pseudo-second order model best described the manganese kinetics within bone char. Manganese removal was mainly influenced by the operating variables of the solid/liquid ratio and the pH of the aqueous phase. In fact, metal uptake was favored at nearly neutral pH values. The effect of particle size and temperature proved to be insignificant for the investigated operating range. This work also evaluated the mechanism for manganese removal using bone char. Results showed that intraparticle diffusion is the main rate-limiting step; however, additional contributions from boundary layer diffusion may well affect this removal when particles of smaller sizes are used. The final concentration of fluoride and other metals present in the AMD effluent was in agreement with the concentration limit set forth by Brazilian legislation. The present study demonstrated that bone char is a suitable material to be used for the removal of manganese from AMD effluents.