PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF A TREATMENT SYSTEM TO REMEDIATE ACID ROCK DRAINAGE INTO JONATHAN RUN

Smoke, Jordan D (2007) PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF A TREATMENT SYSTEM TO REMEDIATE ACID ROCK DRAINAGE INTO JONATHAN RUN. Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)

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	HTML (Figure 26. Map of the Jonathan Run Site) Supplemental Material Download (8MB)
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 27. Taken during the construction of I-80; the construction of the culvert is shown in the picture) Supplemental Material Download (110kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 28. The headwaters of Jonathan Run) Supplemental Material Download (512kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 29. Jonathan Run flowing past an excess rock pile downstream from the headwaters. The rock pile is of the same material that the I-80 embankment was made from) Supplemental Material Download (525kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 30. Jonathan Run flowing through the valley South of I-80) Supplemental Material Download (243kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 31. Jonathan Run flowing towards I-80 (top of picture). Inside the yellow oval, orange colored precipitate covered the limestone) Supplemental Material Download (452kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 32. Another picture of Jonathan Run flowing towards the culvert taken further downstream) Supplemental Material Download (533kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 33. Jonathan Run flowing into the culvert) Supplemental Material Download (503kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 34. Jonathan Run exiting the culvert on the North side of I-80. Notice the whiteness to the water; flocs of aluminum precipitate can be seen gathered in the water) Supplemental Material Download (419kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 35. Aluminum floc in Jonathan Run) Supplemental Material Download (462kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 36. The flow from discharge SLB3) Supplemental Material Download (501kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 37. The discharge flow from SLB3 combining with Jonathan Run) Supplemental Material Download (512kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 38. Jonathan Run flowing away from the culvert and I-80) Supplemental Material Download (421kB) | Preview
Preview	Image (JPEG) (Figure 39. Jonathan Run a few hundred feet downstream from exiting the culvert) Supplemental Material Download (461kB) | Preview

Abstract

Jonathan Run is a tributary of Beech Creek that is impacted with fill material containing acid rock and clay during the construction of I-80 in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The acidic discharges into Jonathan Run contain white aluminum precipitates resulting in surface water quality degradation and loss of sustaining aquatic life. The purpose of this research is to identify sources of acid rock discharge and to conduct research aimed at identifying and developing methods to cost-effectively eliminate, mitigate, or treat acid rock discharge. Based on field research and subsurface investigations, preliminary suggestions are made involving flow elimination, by way of covering the acidic rock source or removing the groundwater, mitigation by injecting alkaline material into the source to neutralize the acid producing potential, and passive and/or active treatment systems to increase the pH of the water and allow metal precipitation. An active treatment system was selected for the major contaminated discharge into Jonathan Run while a passive treatment system was selected for a less contaminated discharge. A preliminary design is presented consisting of two vertical flow ponds, each designed to treat 100 gpm of flow. At this flow each pond will have a detention time of 24 hours and will each contain 2,050 tons of limestone, 19.5 inches in depth of organic compost consisting of mushroom compost and wood chips, and a ponded water layer of 4 ft. The ponds will discharge into a settling pond that will be 100' x 24' x 10'. The active system will consist of the chemical addition of sodium hydroxide at an average rate of 0.0298 gpm mixed through the contaminated water by stationary baffles or large rocks under turbulent conditions. The water will then discharge into a primary settling pond that is 79' x 20' x 6' in dimension and then combine with the discharge from the vertical flow ponds in the second settling pond before entering back into Jonathan Run.

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Details

Item Type:	University of Pittsburgh ETD
Status:	Unpublished
Creators/Authors:	Creators Email Pitt Username ORCID Smoke, Jordan D jordan.smoke@gmail.com
ETD Committee:	Title Member Email Address Pitt Username ORCID Committee Chair Neufeld, R. D. neufeld@engr.pitt.edu NEUFELD Committee Member Monnell, J. jmonnell@engr.pitt.edu JDM49 Committee Member Quimpo, R. quimpo@engr.pitt.edu RGQ1
Date:	25 September 2007
Date Type:	Completion
Defense Date:	11 June 2007
Approval Date:	25 September 2007
Submission Date:	14 June 2007
Access Restriction:	No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Institution:	University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs:	Swanson School of Engineering > Civil and Environmental Engineering
Degree:	MSCE - Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Thesis Type:	Master's Thesis
Refereed:	Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:	acid mine drainage; acid rock; acid rock drainage; active treatment; aluminum; backfill; highway construction pollution; passive treatment
Other ID:	http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-06142007-162751/, etd-06142007-162751
Date Deposited:	10 Nov 2011 19:47
Last Modified:	19 Dec 2016 14:36
URI:	http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8104

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