Researchers of the University of Huelva to fight against waters contaminated by mining activity

Researchers of the  University of Huelva and members of the Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (cei·mar) – A teaching and research project in marine issues that gathers a number of Universities in Spain and in Portugal -  are working in a pioneering project with the support of the LIFE ETAD project, co-financed by the European Union and partners as Sacyr Consrtucción, the  Consejería de Medio Ambiente, through Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua.

This project that counts with the participation of members of the group RNM198, held by José Miguel Nieto,  is developing a system that allows turning these contaminated waters into clean waters, in an an ecological, low cost manner. The lab tests aim at presenting the layout of a passive treatment process of acid mine drainage in a standard location in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, as well as the construction and activation of a passive treatment technology installation. The project will contribute to achieve the goals of the National Hydrological Plan of the Tinto, Odiel and Piedras rivers, besides having the prospect of and intact environment, since there is no resource to electricity neither to reagents. Likewise, purified waters are to be achieved to be used as irrigation resource for vineyards and citrus production.

Source: Universidad de Huelva