Reactive wetland Compañía Minera Coimolache S.A. (Peru)

The proposed alternative for the control and treatment of effluents resulting from mining activities at Tantahuatay was the construction of several reactive wetlands.

The “reactive wetlands” treat the wastewater through the joint action of “bespoke” reactive Tecnosoils. Tecnosoils were designed according to the characteristics of the effluents at hand.

In addition to the specific reagents required to achieve the adequate adsorption conditions, buffer capacity, water retention and redox potential, a cocktail of microorganisms (bacteria, algae and fungi) was incorporated into all artificial soils, which were cultivated from existing communities in the effluent outlet area. No new microorganisms were therefore introduced into the area, instead using endemic wetland plants with a high retention capacity of anions, metals and organic compounds in the rhizosphere, as well as a high capacity for nutrient absorption and metabolic compound elimination.

The main goal of implementing the reactive wetlands is to achieve an adequate purification performance throughout the reactive wetland system in regard to the maximum values ​​of the most representative parameters of environmental water quality, pH, Eh, COD, BOD, total suspended solids, and concentration of heavy metals and metalloids.