Abstract

VASQUEZ, Y  and  ESCOBAR, M.C. Biochemical passive reactors: a biotechnological alternative to remediation of acid mine drainage. Rev. colomb. biotecnol [online]. 2020, vol.22, n.2, pp.53-69.  Epub Feb 18, 2021. ISSN 0123-3475.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rev.colomb.biote.v22n2.74090.

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is currently the main pollutant in mining areas. Passive biochemical reactors are a sustainable technology easy to install using agro-industry waste from the mining region and operating in remote locations. Besides, bioreactors are clean technology that involves bioprocesses, chemical reactions, and metal precipitation, minimizing the impact of AMD on soils and fresh water sources. The passive biochemical reactors are columns packed with a "reactive mixture" consisting of organic, inorganic materials and a microbial inoculum. In this reactive mixture, AMD is remediated through physicochemical processes such as metals adsorption, precipitation, and co-precipitation, as well as, the reduction of sulfate to sulfur, while pH and alkalinity are in-creased. To provide recent information and research needs in the subject, this document presents a review of the literature about the chemical and biological generation of AMD and its remediation using passive biochemical reactors. The knowledge of the basic concepts of these processes is extremely useful to evaluate the possible applications, benefits and limitations of these treatment systems used by biotechnology during the bioremediation of mining effluents.

Keywords : reactive mixture; microbial communities; sulfate reduction; metal precipitation.

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