Heavy metal removal from industrial wastewaters by ion exchange on clinoptilolite

Abstract

As the public awareness for the environment Increases. authoritiesare forced to set more strict discharge limits for the disposal ofwastewaters to the environment. Then the removal of heavy metals fromthe industrial wastewaters with higher efficiencies becomes more importantthan before. Use of natural substances with the highest removal efficiencyfor the treatment of these wastewaters is gaining more significance fromthe point of view of the environment.The natural zeolite, clinoptilolite, supplied from the Manisa-G6rde~Region is an important material for Turkey as there are very large reservesof this substance. Beside being harmless to the environment and humanbeings, it is also very cheap and it can selectively removes the metals fromthe wastewaters.The aim of this study is the determination of the effectiveness andapplicability of zeolites from the Manisa-G6rde~ Region for the removal ofmetal ions from the metallurgical industrial wastewaters and find out the jonexchange capacities of it for the wastewaters having different metalcomposition.