natural attenuation of amd generated total iron using metal reclamation units (mrus), ph 5.5-3.2

Veteran Owned BusinessCAGE: 7KPH4 NAICS: 562910, 541620, 238910

www.EcoIslandsLLC.com

Colin Lennox EcoIslands LLCFounder, Inventor & CEO [email protected]

Kyle DammannEcoIslands LLC Communications DirectorFounding Member

Ben Franklin Technology Partners 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Technology Grant Recipient

2012 Blair County Chamber Of Commerce Technology Award Recipient

2013 Blair County Chamber Of Commerce Technology Award Recipient

http://www.EcoIslandsLLC.com/

Who Is this Presentation For?●AMD & Hard Rock Mining●Trouble Meeting TMDLS ●Help Removing Iron, Manganese, Aluminum●Reducing alkalinity amendments and costs●Limited Space, Budget, and/or Time Constraints●Governmental Agencies & Engineering Firms

Looking for Better Solutions● This webinar and others on YouTube, EcoIslands LLC

Patents Pending - All Rights Reserved - © EcoIslands LLC 2016

Presented by Colin Lennox and Kyle Dammann

CEO, EcoIslands LLCNaturally Attenuating Bioreactors

Natural Attenuation of AMD Generated

Total Iron using Metal Reclamation Units (MRUs) in pH<5.5/3.2>.



Patents pending, completely passive, all-in-one solution to pollutant remediation.

What is an MRU & Natural Attenuation

● AMD & Hard Rock Metals and Metalloids

● Nutrients & Agriculture ● Human Waste

Big picture of truck and many mrus

Metal Reclamation Unit Site Diagram


Who are we?We Provide Water Contaminant

Reclamation Solutions using MRU Technology


●Founded in 2009 - Team of 8 Experts ●Government Contracting Codes:

○ CAGE: 7KPH4 NAICS: 562910, 541620, 238910●We are serving 6 clients on 8 sites

○ Cambria & Clearfield County DEPs ○ Vindex Energy, Bentley Dev., M.B. Energy, Green Sky Co.

●We are here to help you solve your AMD & Hard Rock Mining pollution problems.


Who Are We Contd.

Squatter Falls, In Association with the Altoona Water Authority Pilot Study, November 2015 - Present

EARLY PROTOTYPE - NOT A PRODUCTION SYSTEMCopyright 2016 EcoIslandsLLC - Patents Pending System

Chemo-autotroph (ex. A. ferrooxidans, archaea, bacteria, and a few fungi) Dissolved/Reduced Fe2 as electron donor/energy source), carbon dioxide as C source

Copyright 2016 EcoIslandsLLC - Patents Pending System

Additional Iron depositional growth occurred in the corners of the prototypes, limiting short circuiting, but only after the center of the treatment mass has filled in and sent flow to the corners.

● Fe2 removal, summer/winter 5.5/4.8 pH at seep, 5.3 to 3.8 pH at MRU influent in the near absence of Alkalinity (lab, <20 mg/l). MRU Out 3.8 to 3.5pH

● Total Fe removal average = 2.5kg/day/(2) MRu Mk2’s (summer data) Copyright 2016 EcoIslandsLLC - Patents Pending System

Study 2 5/26/16-9/13/16

● (2) Mk1.5 MRUs ● Pilot study, disassembled in

background● Overflows shown to

demonstrate internal overflow controls when a treatment chamber reaches saturation.

Copyright 2016 EcoIslandsLLC - Patent Pending System

MRUs as Gas Exchange Superchargers, Oxidative or Reductive

● The kg/day/flow rate ratio suggests an MRU based treatment system should be ran faster through the MRUs with fewer “series/flow splits”.

● This could signify that gas exchange is a significant limiting factor.

● Same number of MRUs, different layout.● Longer series with more MRUs linked one after the other

could remove more material than a system with more series,and fewer MRUs per series.

One Tool in the MRU Toolbox● The data suggests that a sizeable portion of Total Iron can

be reclaimed from an raw point source in the <4 pH range.● For bioleaching/mining, the water has a portion of its

load removed, is recycled to the heap/leach pile, and is even more acidic with potentially higher loads of Fe3 in solution for further oxidation and acid production

● For AMD, an alkalinity source will still be needed to buffer the acidity, but there will be less iron to foul the alkalinity source (Ie. limestone Mn Bed).

● When manganese is present and MRUs are used, pH only needs to be raised to a 6.7 pH = lower total alkalinity costs.

Rare Earth Element (REEs) recovery through net acidic

● AMD Task Force, 2016, Dr Paul Ziemkiewicz, Director, WV Water Research Institute, presentation.

● “Estimated 45k tons/year of REEs in PA and WV AMD.”

● “Thats ¼ global demand, and 3x what the US needs.”● “During AMD treatment, REEs are likely adsorbed

onto the Fe-AL-Mn oxide/hydroxide colloids forming co-precipitates, or precipitating directly as RE(OH)3,”.

REE’s cont.●Highest rate of REE precipitation, from the data, occurred

at pH 3.7, within the standard operating pH range from our MRU study data.

●“...(total)REE [dissolved]concentrations were highest at a pH < 3 and were essentially absent from solution at pH >4.5.”

● Highest rates of precipitation were at app. pH 3.7.● We do this without the additional fouling of alkalinity. Our

lab samples indicate Alk is <20mg/L.● In theory, the new iron mineral forms can readily adsorb

other dissolved ions in solution.


An MRU Mk 1.5/3, Mk4 embodiments in development.

The first modular, scalable, self-selective wetland bioreactor capable of natural attenuation.

The Economic Arguments for the MRUMRUs provide consistent, more concentrated treatment

Self Selective embodiments capable of material bio-separation

With 25-100 times the treatment density of other constructed wetlands, treatment systems can be made to 1/25th-1/100 the scale for the same treatment.

Rapid retrofits to existing systems out of compliance from changing TMDLs

Site construction is typically one day.

Can cost less than current BMP wetland system (the upfront) and even less for the long term O and M, preserving the life of bonds on current and new AMD treatment systems.

More MRUs = better client deals on longterm O and M

The fungi oxidize Mn at pH 6.5+, much reduced or eliminated alkalinity amendments.


Mn Teaser, Back to Glasgow and Sherpa Mining

What Size/Shape MRU does your

contaminant/space need?

Metal Reclamation Unit Mk3, Oxidative (top), and an exact ¼ scale replica of the MRU Mk3. “Mini Mr Ugglesworth” (bottom)

DARPA Grant, SB 163-02Genetic or Genomic Solutions to Insect

Production for primary or secondary human consumption.

● Ecological solutions, not genetic

● MRUs are excellent aquaculture tanks. Surface Area, Gas Exchange, Selectable Reduction or Oxidation

● Self select for nitrifiers to fix NH4 to NO3.

● Additional diverse primary producers for trophic fixation.

Request a quote, consultation or site visit

Reserve your delivery and installation to avoid long lead times

Send us your sample data: [email protected]

Stay tuned for upcoming webinar in September, low pH iron oxidation

We’re Here To Help Solve Your Problems!

Call Us Today: 814-937-9115

Conclusion & Action Steps


mailto:[email protected]

We would like to thank Bentley Development Co Inc., Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Cambria and Clearfield County DEP, The Blair County Chamber of Commerce,Blair County Conservation District, Vindex Energy Inc., MB Energy Inc., Sherpa Mining Inc., and the Altoona Water Authority for all their guidance and help in getting us this far. Together, we do good work, thank you.


Special Thanks

natural attenuation of amd generated total iron using metal reclamation units (mrus), ph 5.5-3.2

Environment