While passive treatment has been proven effective at removing heavy metals and adding alkalinity to mining influenced water (MIW), many forms of passive treatment result in the production of "nuisance" constituents that must be addressed prior to discharge. Such "nuisance" constituents include reduced compounds (such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and total organic carbon) that contribute to biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand. Each of these constituents may be regulated necessitating secondary or tertiary treatment prior to discharge.The focus of this paper addresses the "nuisance" constituents that have formed in a specific anaerobic bio-geochemical reactor: how these constituents formed, the length of time they may persist, and ways in which they may be treated. The passive treatment system analyzed is located on a confidential mine site in central Montana. The system consists of a biochemical reactor and an aerobic polishing cell; it was constructed in the fall of 2007 and has run continuously since.
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