MULTI-COMPONENT OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINANTS ADSORPTIVITY AND COMPATIBILITY ONTO VARIABLE CHARGE CLAY MINERAL

Abstract

This work examines the adsorptivity of different combinations of lead, copper and cadmium ions onto the clay mineral kaolinite covering a wide range of concentrations of single, binary and ternary solutions. Batch adsorption equilibrium tests were used. The results of single Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ solutions were compared with those of binary Pb²⁺Cu^2+, Pb²⁺Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺Cd²⁺ and ternary Pb²⁺Cu²⁺Cd²⁺ solutions. Results indicate that the adsorptivity of heavy metal ions is slightly lower in binary and ternary solutions than for single ion species in the solution. Lead shows a higher selectivity on kaolinite of the three heavy metal ions, while Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ give very similar s