Study on the removal of iron (II) and manganese (II) in acidic mine drainage by red mud: Performance and mechanism

Red mud is an environmental burden during the alumina production process. To mitigate the hazards associated with red mud storage, this study investigated the utilization of alkaline red mud as a treatment agent for acidic mine drainage (AMD) with high concentrations of Fe(II) and Mn(II). This study explored the influence of reaction times, addition amounts of red mud, and pH values on the removal efficiency of Fe (II) and Mn(II) from high-concentration AMD. Various parameters such as suspended solids levels, effluent pH, and zeta potentials were measured to meet discharge standards. The adsorption mechanism of red mud was examined using SEM, XRD, EDX, XPS, and 3D-EEM analysis. Optimal conditions were determined as a reaction time of 2 h, pH value of 5.01 and the addition of 100 g/L red mud, achieving effective removal of Fe(II) (reduced from 1000 to 0.224 mg/L) and Mn (II) (reduced from 20 to 1.03 mg/L). The treated AMD meets discharge standards with reduced suspended matter content of 37.4 mg/L. These findings provided valuable insights for the utilization of red mud waste in engineering applications.