Sorption Potential of Vermiculite for Purification of Contaminated Waters from Lead and Copper Ions

A new approach to reducing the hazard of contamination of Lake Baikal by supernatant sludge waters through their absorption by a sorbing layer of thermally expanded vermiculite is proposed. The sorption and desorption of typical heavy metals, copper and lead, on two commercial vermiculite samples of different densities, M-150 and VVT-100, under static and dynamic conditions were investigated. It is shown that the main mineralogical phase in these samples is well-crystallized phlogopite (M-150) and hydrophlogopite (VVT-100). Comparison of metal sorption under mono- and combined-contamination conditions revealed that copper possesses a twofold greater affinity for vermiculite compared to lead (0.56 and 0.32 mmol/g, respectively). A significant advantage of hydrophlogopite over phlogopite under dynamic sorption conditions was noted, which made it possible to recommend this type of mineral raw material for purification of waters from combined heavy metal contamination.

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