Although it is a regulated element in most countries in South America, no selenium treatment plants have been built in our region. As part of our commitment to providing our clients innovative services that meet technical quality requirements and international standards, WSP in Peru conducted laboratory-scale tests using the Saturated Rock Fill (SRF) passive process for selenium treatment at its lab in Lima, gathering input data for designing treatment plants using this process.
The SRF process functions as a bioreactor with a long retention time, as mine water is injected along with a carbon source and nutrients, which help enhance microbial growth. Additionally, anaerobic-anoxic conditions are created, which are optimal for the microbial treatment of selenium and nitrate. One of the advantages of this process is that it uses materials from the mine’s surroundings, such as substrates (waste rock and sediments), and can use mine closure components (open pits) as bioreactors.
