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Denitrification Performance and Mechanism of Permeable Reactive Barrier Technology with a Sulfur Autotrophic Denitrification Composite Filler in Rare Earth Mine Engineering Applications

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Abstract

Sulfur autotrophic denitrification (SAD) is an economical, rapid, and efficient wastewater denitrification process. In this study, based on previous studies on SAD fillers, permeable reactive barrier technology with a SAD composite filler as a substrate was created to treat the groundwater of rare earth mines. The feasibility of this permeable reactive barrier technology with a SAD composite filler in rare earth mine engineering applications was demonstrated, with a maximum nitrate removal efficiency of 100%, an average nitrate removal efficiency of 92.68% on days 40–47 (the influent water was 100% rare earth mine groundwater), and a low accumulation of nitrite and ammonium. In addition, the reactor had a good removal effect on 16 rare earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu); except for that of Sc, the removal effects were over 98%. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), especially polysaccharides, had a facilitative effect on the removal of rare earth elements. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that Sulfurovum (18.11%), Ferritrophicum (15.55%), Thiobacillus (13.35%), and Sulfurimonas (8.51%) were the main denitrification genera of the reactor. Overall, the results of this study provide a case reference for permeable reactive barrier technologies with SAD composite fillers in rare earth mine engineering applications.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41162007; No.41362011); Open Fund Project of State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology (No.2020NRE18); Graduate Student Innovation Fund of Jiangxi Province (No.YC2021-S626).

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330013, People’s Republic of China

    Shengfeng Liu, Bai Gao, Keng Xuan, Wenjie Ma & Meiyu Jia

  2. School of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330013, People’s Republic of China

    Shengfeng Liu, Bai Gao, Keng Xuan, Wenjie Ma, Nan Chen & Meiyu Jia

  3. School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Bei**g), Bei**g, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Nan Chen

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  1. Shengfeng Liu
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Liu, S., Gao, B., Xuan, K. et al. Denitrification Performance and Mechanism of Permeable Reactive Barrier Technology with a Sulfur Autotrophic Denitrification Composite Filler in Rare Earth Mine Engineering Applications. Water Air Soil Pollut 234, 76 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06100-6

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