Monitoring the effectiveness of advanced sorption materials for removing selected metals from water

Abstract

There are a number of ways to remove heavy metals from water. Sorption on granular media based on iron oxides and hydroxides is currently the most used option. The experiment was carried out using sorption materials GEH, CFH 0818, CFH 12 and Bayoxide, which are primarily designed to remove arsenic from water. Four columns were prepared with an inner diameter of 4.4 cm for the purpose of the experiment. The thickness of the filtration media was 62 cm on average. Nickel, iron and manganese pollution were simulated in a laboratory. The efficacy of metals removal by four selected sorption materials was compared. During the experiment, the flow rate was set to reach the required retention time of 2.5, 7 and 15 minutes, taking into account the porosity of the media. It was found that the nickel concentration was reduced according to Regulation No. 252/2004, setting the limit value even after the shortest retention time (2.5 min). Longer retention times had no significant effects on nickel removal. The measurements also proved that all sorption materials have the ability to remove iron and manganese from water. Bayoxide sorption material achieved the best results in nickel, iron and manganese removal from water.