Selenium removal at mine sites is a specific issue that many sites must address. Selenium is a naturally-occuring element found in some rock formations, especially around coal seams. Coal mines create valley fills and waste dumps of waste rock especially when they blast material to get to the coal. When the exposed rock comes into contact with water such as snowmelt, streams or rain, selenium which is found in metal sulfide ores leach into waters often at high levels.
Selenium is harmful to aquatic life as well as humans and can be difficult to remove from mine discharges.
As snowmelt and rainwater passes through these deposits, selenium, nitrate, and other heavy metals can dissolve in the water to contaminating levels.
Evoqua's Frontier Water Systems SeHAWK® bioreactor is a prefabricated, efficient, advanced treatment solution. The SeHAWK removes nitrates and selenium with unparalleled equipment footprint and performance. Additionally, the intrinsic modularity of SeHAWK bioreactor equipment allows for turndown to meet seasonal flow variations.
We integrate membrane technologies upstream of the SeHAWK bioreactor to achieve low-level contaminant removal and higher treatment flows without compromising on equipment footprint.
