Metals
Our Technologies for Heavy Metals Removal & Recovery
Meeting strict discharge limits doesn’t have to mean generating massive volumes of waste sludge. BQE Water provides advanced solutions for metal recovery from mine water, focusing on highly selective heavy metals removal. By utilizing our proprietary BioSulphide® and ChemSulphide® technologies, our processes offer significant advantages over traditional lime neutralization:
- Selectively targets specific heavy metals for removal without scaling or fouling.
- Recovers dissolved metals as commercial-grade solid sulphides to generate new revenue.
- Eliminates or drastically reduces hazardous waste sludge production.
- Treats mine wastewater to meet the most stringent environmental discharge limits.
BioSulphide® & ChemSulphide®
Our sulphide precipitation technologies use biological or chemical sources of sulphide to selectively remove dissolved metals from mining wastewater.
The process works by adding the sulphide reagent to the wastewater under controlled conditions to precipitate the target metal, forming high-grade solid metal sulphides that can be easily dewatered for sale or disposal. The water can then be discharged safely to the environment or re-used onsite. Recovering the dissolved metals as a commercial grade concentrate eliminates/minimizes waste sludge production.
Met-IX™
We apply our selective ion exchange to treat wastewater containing very low levels of dissolved metals that must be lowered further to meet stringent discharge limits.
The Met-IX™ process uses resins to selectively target the metal, removing it from the wastewater and producing a concentrated regenerant stream. ChemSulphide® is often combined with Met-IX™ to treat the regenerant stream to recover the dissolved metals as a commercial grade solid by-product. With the metal removed, the water is safe for discharge. No waste sludge is produced in this process.
Applicable Metals
Remove for environmental compliance & recover for value:
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Molybdenum
- Nickel
- Rhenium
- Silver
- Zinc
Remove for environmental compliance:
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Bismuth
- Cadmium
- Iron
- Lead
- Mercury
CASE STUDIES
Explore our case studies showcasing innovative water treatment solutions for metal processing projects. Learn how we’ve addressed complex challenges, from recovering valuable metals to ensuring compliance with strict environmental regulations, while minimizing waste and operational risks.
ERDC – ELSA RECLAMATION
Mitigate the environmental impact of legacy tailings through the pH-neutral treatment of pore water and surface runoff during excavation and consolidation. We utilized a 115 m³/day ChemSulphide® plant to safely discharge treated water while pumping sludge to geotubes for sustainable mine closure.
DEXING MINE
Designed, built, and operate a 48,000 m³/day ChemSulphide® plant to recover copper from acid mine drainage. The plant generated enough revenue from copper sales to pay back the initial capital in less than three years.
RAGLAN MINE
Provided seasonal sub-Arctic mine drainage treatment for over 15 years. Utilizing ChemSulphide® and Met-IX™, the plant produces effluent with nickel levels < 0.25 mg/L while cutting the cost per m³ of water treated by 10%.
SILVERTIP MINE
Deployed a compact, portable 3,600 m³/day ChemSulphide® water treatment plant constructed from standard shipping containers. The system reliably removes trace heavy metals to meet ultra-low discharge limits while minimizing solid residue generation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Metal Recovery from Mine Water
Why choose sulphide precipitation over traditional lime neutralization?
Traditional HDS lime neutralization generates high volumes of hazardous waste sludge that require costly, perpetual management. Our BioSulphide® and ChemSulphide® processes selectively precipitate heavy metals into highly stable, compact solids, drastically reducing waste volume and long-term disposal liabilities.
How does metal recovery offset mine water treatment costs?
By selectively removing base metals like copper, nickel, or zinc from mine wastewater, our technologies precipitate them as commercial-grade solid sulphides. This turns a standard environmental liability into a saleable concentrate, creating a new revenue stream that can significantly offset or even fully cover the plant’s capital and operating costs.