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January 2018 - present
May 2013 - December 2017
Publications
Publications (81)
Passive treatment of As-rich neutral drainage is less documented relative to acid mine drainage (AMD). In passive biofilters, sorption is the main mechanism of contaminant removal for neutral mine drainage (NMD), whereas precipitation is dominant for AMD. Regardless of the type of mine drainage to be treated, passive treatment systems show a deteri...
Passive treatment of As-rich neutral drainage is less documented relative to acid mine drainage (AMD). In passive biofilters, sorption is the main mechanism of contaminant removal for neutral mine drainage (NMD), whereas precipitation is dominant for AMD. Regardless of the type of mine drainage to be treated, passive treatment systems show a deteri...
The production of lithium from spodumene ores generates huge amounts of residues mainly composed of aluminosilicates. The main objective of the present study was to synthesize NaX zeolites with good ion-exchange capacity from these aluminosilicate residues, without using the fusion step or chemically modifying their initial Si/Al ratio. A physico-c...
Despite being efficient in removing (in)organic contaminants from effluents, ferrate (Fe(VI)) has scarcely been used for the removal of metal(loid)s from mine effluents. The present study evaluated the performance of wet vs. solid Fe(VI) to remove As(III) and Mn(II) from synthetic and surrogate neutral mine effluents. The experiments were done usin...
The production of lithium from spodumene ores generates huge amounts of residue mainly composed of aluminosilicate. The main objective of this study was to compare the performances of three different processes to produce zeolites from aluminosilicates residues originating from lithium extraction. Zeolites were synthesized using: i) a conventional h...
Transports electrification efforts currently increase global demand for lithium, but literature about the environmental geochemistry of spodumene mine tailings is very scarce. Mine tailings from the former Québec Lithium Corporation site in La Corne, Québec, Canada, were submitted to a suite of geochemical and mineralogical characterizations to eva...
Fluorite (calcium fluoride—CaF2), also known as fluorspar, is an industrial mineral used in metallurgy, hydrofluoric acid production, and ceramics manufacturing. Based on the results from a previous study, a low-grade fluorspar by-product (20.0% CaF2) originating from the exploitation of a rare earth carbonatite deposit can be improved to 75.4% by...
Environmental desulfurization is gaining attention as an efficient approach to manage sulfidic mine tailings by separating sulfide minerals from tailings. While extensive research has been done to reuse desulfurized tailings in mine site reclamation, the responsible management or potential of valorization of desulfurization concentrates did not rec...
In the context of sustainable development and circular economy, waste valorization is considered a promising alternative to overcome issues related to their disposal or elimination. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential use of phosphate sludges (tailings) from the Kef Shfeir mine site (Gafsa, Tunisia) as an alternative material in the...
In Tunisia, phosphate beneficiation from ores by the Gafsa Phosphate Company (GPC) is a water-intensive process that generates large amounts of sludge. Responsible mining minimizes water use and prioritizes its recycling and reuse to limit the impact on water resources. Recovery of water from the phosphate sludge (PS) using the densification with a...
Treatment of organic contaminants using the electro-Fenton (EF) process is efficient but generates toxic by-products. The aim of the present study was to assess the residual toxicity associated to the treatment of real mine effluents using EF and to perform a preliminary techno-economic analysis to compare the costs of different techniques. Two min...
The recovery of indium (In) from spent LCD screens represents an avenue of interest to meet the growing market demand for this strategic metal. The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficiencies of nine ion-exchange resins to selectively recover indium from synthetic and real leachates produced from the recycling of spent LCD sc...
Passive and semi-passive sulfate-reducing bioreactors (SRBRs) are attracting increasing attention worldwide for the treatment of contaminated mine effluents. This study focuses on the management of post-treatment residues from these bioreactors. The residues of two bioreactors with different medium compositions were studied after they were mixed wi...
The Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit, located in northern Quebec (Canada), contains a potential carbonatite-type rock source of rare earth elements (REE). A pilot scale pre-concentration of REE minerals produced flotation tailings. A kinetic leach column study was performed to evaluate the behaviour of these tailings in a northern context (i...
Various rare earth element (REE) deposits hosted by carbonatite complexes have been identified in southern (Montviel, Niobec) and northern Quebec (Eldor deposit). During the winter in Quebec, the use of road salts to facilitate transportation on the mine site and/or avoid water freezing during mine operation may be necessary. The sources of salinit...
Fluorspar, also known as fluorite (CaF2), is commercially important in metallurgical (e.g. used as slag viscosity modifier), ceramic (e.g. used to manufacture glass), and chemical industries (e.g. production of commercial HF). In the present study, a process has been developed to produce a ceramic grade fluorspar by-product from a rare earth elemen...
Fluorspar, also known as fluorite, is commonly used as a raw material to produce fluorinated chemicals (e.g., hydrofluoric acid) or as a flux to lower the melting temperature in steel production. In the present study, a process was developed to produce a fluorite concentrate from a rare earth element (REE) bearing carbonatite. After an initial flot...
Solid waste management is the most important environmental challenge of mining operations worldwide [...]
Tailings from inactive uranium mine sites represent a potential secondary source of rare earth elements (REEs). For this study, two mine tailings (DT and RAT) from restored uranium sites in Ontario, Canada, were used. Bioleaching experiments were conducted with a mix of native sulfur- and iron-oxidizing bacteria to test the solubilization of REEs,...
Responsible use and effective treatment of mine water are prerequisites of sustainable mining. The behavior of contaminants in mine water evolves in relation to the metastable characteristics of some species, changes related to the mine life cycle, and mixing processes at various scales. In cold climates, water treatment requires adaptation to site...
For decades, the world has experienced a steadily increasing demand in the extraction of a variety of different minerals from the earth's crust through mining processes. This has resulted in two major consequences: i) depletion of limited mineral resources of the earth, and ii) generation of large amounts of residual products in the mining and meta...
Tailings from inactive gold mines, that are not yet successfully restored (generation of As- and Co-contaminated neutral mine drainage), represent a promising secondary source of strategic metals including Co and Ni. Three different mine tailings (sites A, B and C) from CobaltCobalt Mining Camp were collected and characterized. Preliminary chemical...
Electro-Fenton (EF) is an emerging technology with well-known outstanding oxidation power; yet, its application to the treatment of inorganic contaminants has been largely disregarded. Thiosalts are contaminants of emerging concern in mine water, responsible for delayed acidity in natural waterways. In this study, EF was used to treat thiosalts in...
In this study, a new approach to predicting the ability of a hydrometallurgical process to simultaneously remove metal(loid)s, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and polychlorodibenzodioxins and furans (PCDD/F) from contaminated soil is developed. The remediation process consisted of attrition and alkaline leaching steps applied for the coarse (> 0.250 mm) a...
Rare earth elements (REE) are critical resources and of strategic importance as they are used in many applications, including emerging technologies. As a result, the demand for REE has continued to increase, to the extent of exceeding their supply. Because conventional deposits can no longer satisfy REE demand for the foreseeable future, intensive...
Reuse of mine waste as alternative raw material in the construction sector is a promising environmental solution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of phosphate sludge as alternative raw material in the production of fired bricks, while substituting the natural finite clay soils. Representative samples of phosphate processing...
Spent liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are a secondary source of precious/strategic metals, including indium (In). The present study involved optimizing the solubilization of this strategic element from samples of indium tin oxide (ITO) glass prepared from LCD screens of computer monitors and laptop screens. The influence of operating conditions on I...
Removing copper from treated wood waste would allow the waste to be reused instead of being disposed of in landfills. For that reason, a sulfuric acid leaching process for removing copper from wood waste treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) and copper azole (CA) was tested at pilot scale. This process, consisting of three 160 min leaching...
The performance of a semi-passive sulfate-reducing bioreactor (SPSRB) was studied for the treatment of highly contaminated AMD (pH = 4.2, [Fe]i: 1600 to 6400 mg/L). The potential mobility of contaminants (metals and sulfates) from AMD post-treatment residue was also evaluated (e.g. metal speciation, weathering cells) to ensure their proper manageme...
Industrial activities lead to the contamination of large amounts of soils polluted by both inorganic and organic compounds, which are difficult to treat due to different chemical properties. The efficiency of a decontamination process developed to simultaneously remove mixed contamination of industrial soils was evaluated at the pilot-scale, as wel...
Conventional chemical precipitation methods of salinity removal from mine drainage (MD) are ineffective to deal with sulfate concentrations lower than the solubility of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). As the standards of sulfate concentrations become more stringent, this limitation of conventional methods of precipitation drives the need for complementary or...
Efficiency of Mn passive treatment from mine drainage (MD) is limited, in the presence of Fe, because of the wide stability field of dissolved Mn(II) species. Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization, as well as static leaching tests at pH 7 (CTEU-9) of four samples were performed to assess Mn immobilization processes from MD and post-tre...
Recovery of rare earth elements (REE) from acid mine drainage (AMD) could be an alternative to their conventional mining, given that REE are relatively highly concentrated in AMD. Their treatment (pre-concentration) and further recovery seem promising from both an economic and environmental point of view. This review thoroughly discusses sorption a...
Increasing use of rare earth elements (REEs) in modern technologies and existing or expected imbalances between demand and supply have led many countries, including Canada, to consider the exploitation of their own REEs primary sources. The objective of this study is a thorough characterization of the flotation tailings generated during the pre-con...
Sulfate-reducing biofilters operated in semi-passive or passive modes constitute an approach of choice for treatment of acidic mining effluents. The aim of the present study involved examining the behavior of biofilters after use based on two modes of management, namely in unsaturated and saturated media. Two acidophilic biofilters were investigate...
The definition and classification of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in water and soils/sediments have evolved over time. Stricter environmental regulations in many countries and consciousness for sustainable development have led to adapted solutions to reduce the footprint and potential impacts of anthropogenic activities. Characterizatio...
Water separation and recovery through thickening require adapted flocculants and densification processes. This study aimed to maximize water recovery from phosphate sludge (PS) at Kef Shfeir mine operation, Gafsa Phosphate Company, Tunisia. Representative samples of PS, PS treated with flocculant (F-PS), raw water, and recycled water were collected...
Refractory ores, in which gold is often embedded within As-bearing and acid-generating sulfide minerals, are becoming the main gold source worldwide. These ores require an oxidizing pre-treatment, prior to cyanidation, to efficiently breakdown the sulfides and enhance gold liberation. As a result, large volumes of As-rich effluents (> 500 mg/L) are...
Mine effluents must meet discharge criteria for both physicochemical parameters and toxicity. While chemical precipitation is efficient for the treatment of metallic elements in mine effluents, the removal of sulfates, as a source of salinity and potential toxicity, is limited by gypsum solubility. This study evaluated the efficiency of electrocoag...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil parameters (total inorganic and organic carbon, pH, particle size distribution, initial contaminant levels) on the performance of a leaching process to remove As, Cr, Cu, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and polychlorodibenzo-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) from the fine fractions (< 0.250 mm) o...
Understanding the spatial distribution of organic and/or inorganic contaminants is crucial to facilitate decision-making of rehabilitation strategies in order to ensure the most appropriate management of contaminated sites in terms of contaminant removals efficiencies and operating costs. For these reasons, various interpolation methods [Thiessen P...
The present study compares the efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and electrocoagulation (EC) for pH increase and Fe removal from Fe-rich acid mine drainage (AMD). The experiments were carried out in batch reactors, using synthetic AMD with initial pH 2.4–2.5 and Fe initial concentration around 500 mg/L. In MFCs, a two-chamber configuration...
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major environmental challenge for the mining industry in northern climates. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to test various simple and complex carbon sources available in the Yukon as electron donors for sulfate reduction to allow the subsequent removal of Cd and Zn from a Yukon AMD. The 1 L capacity biorea...
Mine drainage contaminated with metals is a major environmental threat since it is a source of water pollution with devastating effects on aquatic ecosystems. Conventional active treatment technologies are prohibitively expensive and so there is increasing demand to develop reliable, cost-effective and sustainable passive or semi-passive treatment....
This study focused on the selective recovery of zinc (Zn) from a leaching solution emerging from a sulfuric acid leaching process applied to unsorted spent batteries. Precipitation and solvent extraction were investigated. According to the results, solvent extraction using Cyanex 272 allowed for the selective removal of Zn from the solution contain...
The current research investigated the effectiveness of a gravimetric process (shaking table) to treat soil contaminated by municipal solid waste. A detailed characterization of the inorganic pollutants was performed, followed by concentrating the metals within smaller volumes using the shaking table technology. The densimetric examination of the 1-...
This study focused on a pilot-scale infiltration of denitrified wastewater through artificially created soils. The hydraulic performance and sulfide production were evaluated to ensure the system's longevity over the period needed for autotrophic denitrification. Experiments were carried out over a year in two reactors of 200-L capacity. Sandy and...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the soil parameters (particle size, initial contamination level, etc.) on the performances of an attrition process to remove As, Cr, Cu, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and dioxins and furans (PCDD/F). Five different contaminated soils were wet-sieved to isolate five soil fractions (< 0.250, 0.25...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of a counter-current attrition process (CCAP) over 15 cycles for removing metals, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDDF) from contaminated soil. The CCAP, applied to the 1–4-mm fraction of a contaminated soil, included five attrition steps (pulp den...
Recently, an efficient and promising process was developed to allow the removal of As, Cr, Cu, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and polychlorodibenzo-dioxins and furans (PCDDF) from soil using alkaline leaching. The present study evaluates the performance and the robustness of this decontamination process for the treatment of four different polluted soils...
The treatment of soils contaminated with organic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), by attrition produced large amounts of highly concentrated attrition sludge (PAH – attrition concentrate – PAC). This paper studied the performance of an oxidation process using potassium permanganate (KMnO4) to degrade PAHs that were initia...
The aim of this study was to determine the critical operational conditions leading to the generation of sulfide in a domestic wastewater treated by a sulfur-utilizing denitrification process. The influence of various important parameters on the reduction of the sulfates present in denitrified domestic wastewaters to sulfide was studied. Experiments...
Passive treatment is a promising, green technology that is increasingly being used for mine drainage treatment. However, several challenges remain concerning its implementation in locations where the temperature of the water remains cold year round and bacterial growth is limited by the low temperatures. The impacts of cold on the activity of sulfa...
The contamination of soils by metals such as arsenic, chromium, copper and organic compounds such as pentachlorophenol (PCP) and dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) is a major problem in industrialized countries. Excavation followed by disposal in an appropriate landfilling is usually used site to manage these contaminated soils. Many researches have been...
This study was conducted to determine the optimal conditions for PAH degradation from highly contaminated attrition sludge (PAC) using a Fenton process or successive permanganate (KMnO4) oxidation and Fenton processes. The following parameters were studied to optimize the Fenton oxidation process: the amounts of reactants based on the stoichiometri...
This paper presents an innovative process for the recovery of the valuable metals from a mixture of spent batteries. Different types of batteries, including alkaline, zinc-carbon (Zn-C), nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium ion (Li-ion) and lithium metallic (Li-M) batteries, were mixed according to the proportion of the Can...
The objective of this study was to evaluate, at a pilot scale, the performance of an attrition process for removing As, Cr, Cu, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and polychlorodibenzodioxins and furans (PCDDF) from a 1-4 mm soil fraction. A Box-Behnken experimental design was utilized to evaluate the influence of several parameters (temperature, surfactant c...
This study aimed to determine the potential of sulfide generation during infiltration through soil of domestic wastewater treated by a sulfur-utilizing denitrification process. Three types of soil with different permeability rates (Ks = 0.028, 0.0013, and 0.00015 cm/s) were investigated to evaluate the potential risk of sulfur generation during the...
The Fenton oxidation using phenanthrene (Phe), fluoranthene (Fle) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) as representative Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminants was examined. The effect of the H2O2 concentration, the temperature and the competition between PAHs in different solutions (methanol, surfactant and quartz) was investigated. The Fenton o...
Three soils polluted by municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration residues and containing various concentrations of Cu, Pb, Sb, Sn and Zn were treated using magnetism, gravity separation (jig and shaking table) and flotation/leaching. The process removed between 18% and 39% of the contaminants present in soil 1, between 31% and 53% of the contaminan...
The goal of this research was to elaborate an effective and economical treatment system to eliminate nitrates from a large marine basin at the Aquarium du Québec. Several configurations of an autotrophic denitrification system using elemental sulfur were tested. Results showed that inoculums taken from various environments (soil, sewage sludge, wet...
The alkaline washing of soil polluted by organic (pentachlorophenol (PCP) and polychlorinated dioxins and furans (DF)) and inorganic (As, Cr, and Cu) compounds generates large volumes of effluents with high concentrations of contaminants. The objective of the present study is the treatment of leachate produced by a soil decontamination process unde...
Remediation of copper-based alkaline copper quat (ACQ) and micronized copper quat (MCQ) wood-preservative-treated weathered southern pine mulch samples by monoethanolamine (Mea) extraction was studied. The potential reuse of Mea extract in ACQ wood preservative application was also evaluated. Continuous column extraction of copper-preservative-trea...
Treated wood wastes disposal is becoming a challenge because of increasing amounts of treated wood wastes and restricted regulations regarding solid wastes landfilling or burning. Appropriate disposal options have been developed in recent years based on treated wood wastes recycling. However, treated wood wastes recycling options are limited becaus...
In recent years, an efficient and economically attractive leaching process has been developed to remove metals from copper-based treated wood wastes. This study explored the applicability of this leaching process using chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood samples with different initial metal loading and elapsed time between wood preservatio...
The disposal of metal-bearing treated wood wastes is becoming an environmental challenge. An efficient recycling process based on sulfuric acid leaching has been developed to remove metals from copper-based treated wood chips (0<x<12mm). The present study explored the performance and the robustness of this technology in removing metals from copper-...
The development of appropriate disposal options for copper-based treated wood waste has been encouraged owing to stringent regulations regarding solid-waste landfilling or burning. Previous studies identified an efficient chemical process for removing metals from wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), c...
In recent years, the development of appropriate wood waste disposal options has been encouraged by severe regulations and expensive fees associated with wastes landfilling or burning. An efficient and economically attractive leaching process was developed at laboratory scale (200 mL) for CCA-, ACQ- and CA-treated wood wastes recycling. This leachin...
Chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood was widely used until 2004 for residential and industrial applications. Since 2004, CCA was replaced by alternative copper preservatives such as alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), copper azole (CA) and micronized copper quaternary (MCQ), for residential applications due to health concerns. Treated wood wa...
Increasingly stringent regulations regarding waste disposal encourage the development of options for reuse, recycling and revalorisation of waste. Metals-bearing treated wood wastes are no exception. Previous studies identified a possible treatment technology for chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservative-treated wood waste based on sulphuric aci...
