title: Biological treatment of a synthetic gold milling effluent.
abstract: This paper reports on biological sludge acclimatisation and the results concerning the removal of free cyanide, thiocyanate and metallocyanides (copper, iron and zinc) from a synthetic gold milling effluent. The experiments were carried out in a continuous bench-scale bioreactor, and the experimental set-up consisted of two identical units, one of which served as control. The acclimatisation of the biomass was based on a stepwise procedure, in which the proportion of synthetic solution in the influent was gradually increased. The reactors were fed with a mixture of synthetic effluent and sewage, and the treatment efficiency was evaluated through the monitoring of the following parameters: chemical oxygen demand (COD), free cyanide, thiocyanate, copper, iron and zinc concentrations. A well adapted microbial consortium was obtained at the end of the acclimatisation period, which was able to remove more than 95% of free cyanide, thiocyanate, copper and zinc, originally found in the influent. These removal efficiencies were obtained when the reactor was operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of about 8 h. The performance results of experiments carried out with lower HRT (5 h) and higher dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (6.5 mg litre(-1)) are also presented and discussed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnologia Mineral, CETEM/CNP(q), Rua 4, Quadra D, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, 21.949-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granato
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Villas Boas
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sant'Anna