Chemistry major, Heather Ramsden recently received an A.J. Palumbo Student Research Grant to work on her research titled, “The Use of Desiccant in Acid Mine Drainage Abatement and Other Acidic Waters.”  Here is what Ms. Ramsden had to say about her project.
 
“Calcium Oxide is used as a desiccant in the warehouses of apple orchards to absorb water and carbon dioxide to keep produce fresh.  During use, the calcium oxide undergoes chemical reactions that alter its composition, and the substance is eventually thrown out.  Although the exact composition of the desiccant after use is not known, it is believed that the used desiccant could be of great use to acid mine drainage remediation.  This project will determine the alkalinity and pH potential of the used desiccant.  Then, the tests will be repeated on other chemicals currently being used in acid mine drainage remediation, specifically Calcium Oxide, Calcium Hydroxide and Calcium Carbonate.  Through a comparison of the results it is hypothesized that the used desiccant will be shown to be comparable to the other substances currently in use.  In addition, as the desiccant is normally being discarded and it would be being recycled for acid mine drainage abatement, using it instead of other substances would be infinitely more cost efficient than current methods.  Finally, by examining two acidic discharges in the local area, the research on the desiccant will be used to determine the amount of desiccant and the retention time required in order to treat those discharges with the desiccant, bringing the pH and the alkalinity to proper levels for a healthy waterway.”