Degradation of digested sewage sludge residue under anaerobic conditions for mine tailings remediation

Previous studies showed that 85 % of total organic matter (TOM) in digested sewage sludge (biosolids) used as a sealing layer material over sulfide tailings at the Kristineberg Mine, northern Sweden, had been degraded 8 years after application, resulting in a TOM reduction from 78 to 14 %. To achieve a better understanding of the field observations, laboratory studies were performed to evaluate biodegradation rates of the TOM under anaerobic conditions. Results reveal that the original biosolid consisted of ca. 60 % TOM (48.0 % lignin and 11.8 % carbohydrates) that had not been fully degraded. The incubation experiments proved that 27.8 % TOM in the biosolid was further degraded anaerobically at 20–22 °C during the 230 days’ incubation period, and that a plateau to the biodegradation rate was approached. Based on model results, the degradation constant was found to be 0.0125 (day⁻¹). The calculated theoretical gas formation potential was ca. 50 % higher than the modeled results based on the average degradation rate. Cumulated H₂S equated to 0.65 μmoL g⁻¹ of biosolid at 230 days. However, the large sulfurous compounds reservoir (1.76 g SO₄ ²⁻ kg⁻¹ biosolid) together with anaerobic conditions can generate high concentrations of this gas over a long-term perspective. Due to the rate of biodegradability identified via anaerobic processes, the function of the biosolid to serve as an effective barrier to inhibit oxygen migration to underlying tailings, may decrease over time. However, a lack of readily degradable organic fractions in the biosolid and a large fraction of organic matter that was recalcitrant to degradation suggest a longer degradation duration, which would prolong the biosolid material’s function and integrity.