Mine Wastewater Reuse for Irrigation Purposes
Water shortages and the rise of environmental regulations throughout the world have made membrane filtration technology an even more attractive method for mine wastewater treatment. In the mining industry, large quantities of water are used to wash off debris from the valuable minerals. Reusing this mine wastewater poses many challenges due to the high amount of salts and organics they contain, in addition to elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), and total suspended solids (TSS) levels. Ultrafiltration in conjunction with nanofiltration can be used to reduce turbidity and silt density index (SDI) levels, remove bacteria and viruses, and decrease overall salt content to make it suitable for reuse for irrigation purposes.
Synder’s UF PVDF line is able to efficiently handle pre-treated mine wastewater to eliminate all bacteria and viruses and provide acceptable SDI and turbidity ranges for the nanofiltration membranes. In turn, the nanofiltration membranes are able to desalinate the water and meet TDS water requirements for irrigation and process reuse.
Benefits of membrane processes:
- Reduction in bio-fouling
- Lowered maintenance and water usage costs
Recommended membranes:
UF PVDF (A6, V6), NFX
