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The Effects of Substrate Type, Surface Water Depth, and Flow Rate on Manganese Retention in Mesocosm Wetlands

Dep. of Biological Sci., Univ. of Nevada, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 454004, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4004;
Dep. of Biology, 208 Mueller Lab, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA 16802;
13 Castlevale Circle, Irmo, SC 29063-2600;
Dep. of Plant Pathology, 310 Buckhout Lab, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA 16802.

^* Corresponding author (lrs{at}nevada.edu).

ABSTRACT

A wetland mesocosm experiment was conducted to determine the effects on Mn retention of substrate type, surface water depth, and flow rate. The main objective of this experiment was to determine if sustained Mn retention could be accomplished under the specific experimental treatments, to recommend design parameters for the construction of field wetland systems for Mn treatment. Crushed limestone was clearly superior to spent mushroom substrate (SMS) with respect to Mn retention. The presence of a layer of free surface water detracted from Mn treatment, while lower flow rates enhanced Mn treatment. Sustained Mn retention was achieved using crushed limestone as the substrate coupled with an absence of surface free water, when inlet water had a pH of 7.0 and no appreciable Fe. Substrate metal extractions indicated that most of the Mn was retained as oxide-bound Mn (72%), with most (88%) of the Mn retained at the surface of the wetland. Limestone "wetlands" are therefore recommended in the treatment of Mn in neutral-pH mine water containing no Fe.