Manure Manager

News
Manure in the mine


March 31, 2008  by Manure Manager

According to news reports, Finnish
engineers have poured pig manure into a contaminated pond next to an
old mine, saying the bacteria in the slurry will clean up metals in the
water.

According to news reports, Finnish engineers have poured pig manure into a contaminated pond next to an old mine, saying the bacteria in the slurry will clean up metals in the water.

Mining company Outokumpu put 450 cubic meters of pig slurry into the waste water near the closed Kangasjarvi mine, which once produced zinc, copper and sulphur.
“Pig slurry contains bacteria that bind metals that are in the mine water and they will sink to the bottom. We have used this system to clean mine waters at various mines,” said Eero Soininen, Outokumpu’s mine reclamation manager, in a news report.

“Around 15 years ago we noticed mine water got cleaned by itself at our Foldal mine in Norway. We studied the water and found bacteria that eat sulfides.” It takes two to four years for sulfide-eating bacteria to get the job done.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stories continue below

Print this page

Related