Abstract
We investigate with this study the effectiveness of mechanically activated serpentinite in capturing Cu (II) from the multi-constituent acidic wastewater of the pit lakes of the Agios Philippos mine (Greece), proposing specific areas with serpentinites suitable for such environmental applications. For this purpose ultramafic rock samples that are characterized by variable degrees of serpentinization from ophiolitic outcrops exposed in the regions of Veria-Naousa and Edessa have been examined regarding their capacity to remove the toxic load of Cu (II) from wastewater after having been mechanically activated through a Los Angeles (LA) machine (500, 1000 and 1500 revolutions). The more serpentinized and mechanically activated samples, as they have been characterized after a combination of various mineralogical, petrographic, geochemical analyses as well as after different stresses of abrasion and attrition, seem to be more effective in Cu removal than the less serpentinized ones. Selective removal of Cu (II) in the wroewolfeite phase was obtained by using the mechanically activated highly serpentinized ultramafic rocks. Furthermore, areas with highly serpentinized ultramafic rocks defined after petrographic mapping, using GIS method, which can potentially be used as filters for the effective Cu (II) removal from industrial wastewater are suggested.
Highlights
Today, societies are vastly affected by negative changes in the quality of water, air, and soil as a result of human activities
Taking into account how effective the serpentinite was in removing Cu from the wastewater from the pit lake from the Agios Phillippos Kirkis mine [26], four serpentinites, derived from the aforementioned ophiolite complexes and presenting different degree of serpentinization were used after their mechanical activation to various degrees to examine the mechanism through which serpentinite can become more effective in the removal of Cu
Two types of serpentinized ultramafic rocks regarding their degree of serpentinization were collected from the studied areas
Summary
Societies are vastly affected by negative changes in the quality of water, air, and soil as a result of human activities. Large volumes of wastewater present within lakes, river or in industries, put intense pressure on mankind. Among the different types of pollutants, non-organic ones have a high-risk factor and are characterized as being harmful [1]. Mitigation of toxicity factors identified within water considered as waste that has been produced by industrial activities is a main concern in modern-day societies. Wastewater produced from industrial and human activities, must be brought back the societies as well as to Nature, which includes rivers, lakes and land [2]. Acidic drainage or pit lakes produced by past mining activities are held as being
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