Selection of wastewater treatment process designs for open pit coal mines

Exclusive environmental safety standards and coal mining buildup make the coal mining waste management critical. Wastewater treatment in coal mines is a challenge as coal mines produce many tons of wastewater at an annual volume more than 2 Mm3. Wastewater have low temperature and contain difficult-to-remove compounds of sulfates, chlorides, nitrates and ammonium anions, which makes selection of the most effective methods of wastewater treatment even more difficult. This article offers a conceptual process design of a mobile plant for efficient wastewater treatment at open pit coal mines. The structure of the plant and interaction of its components are described in detail, and the technical recommendations are given. The pilot test data obtained in a real-life environment are reported. Tests enable sciencebased selection of process designs and managerial solutions toward enhanced wastewater treatment efficiency and cost saving. The developed process designs are evaluated in terms of their technological and economic effectiveness. The introduction and application of the proposed technology in the coal industry can improve substantially wastewater purification, as well as promote smart use of resources and reduction of anthropogenic stress on the environment.

Ivanova L. A., Mikhailova E. S., Artemova O. V., Ivanov P. P. Selection of wastewater treatment process designs for open pit coal mines. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(12):169-184. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_12_0_169.

The study was carried out in the framework of the integrated and complete innovation program on the Development and Introduction of a Set of Technologies in Mineral Exploration and Mining, Industrial Safety, Bioremediation, and Creation of New Deeper Conversion Coal Products at Gradual Reduction of Environmental Stress and Hazard to Life, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, Decree No. 1144-r as of May 11, 2022, and was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Agreement No. 075-15–20221201 as of September 30, 2022.

L.A. Ivanova¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: lyuda_ivan@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4103-8780,
E.S. Mikhailova¹, Cand. Sci. (Chem.), Assistant Professor, Director of the Institute of NBICS Technologies, e-mail: e_s_mihaylova@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0673-0747,
O.V. Artemova, Head of the Design and Technology Department, NTT LLC, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: artemova@ntt.su, ORCID ID: 0009-0001-2498-4943,
P.P. Ivanov¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: ipp7@yandex.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8086-3273,
¹ Kemerovo State University, 650000, Kemerovo, Russia.

L.A. Ivanova, e-mail: lyuda_ivan@mail.ru.

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