Elimination of Heavy Metals from Industrial Wastewater Using Salts of Divalent Cations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/h9mdxz15Keywords:
Heavy metals, Water remediation, Divalent cations, Chemical precipitation, Coagulation, Adsorption kineticsAbstract
Heavy metals (HMs) such as lead (Pb²⁺), cadmium (Cd²⁺), and arsenic (As³⁺) are significant contaminants in water, posing risks to human health and the environment. This study evaluates the removal of these HMs using salts of divalent cations: calcium chloride (CaCl₂), magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄), and copper sulfate (CuSO₄). The results demonstrate that CaCl₂ is the most effective, achieving 85% removal of Pb²⁺ and 90% removal of Cd²⁺ at a concentration of 30 mg/L. MgSO₄ also showed strong performance, with removal rates of 80% for Pb²⁺ and 75% for Cd²⁺. CuSO₄ was the least effective, with a maximum removal of 70% for Pb²⁺ and 65% for Cd²⁺. Removal of As³⁺ was also successful, with CaCl₂ achieving 80% removal, while MgSO₄ and CuSO₄ reached 70% and 60%, respectively. The optimal pH for the highest removal efficiency was found to be between 6.5 and 7.5. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in removal efficiencies, with CaCl₂ being the most effective for all three metals. These findings suggest that divalent cation salts, particularly calcium and magnesium, provide a sustainable, cost-effective solution for the removal of HMs from contaminated water. Further research is needed to optimize these methods, especially for less efficient cations like copper, and to refine their application in large-scale water treatment processes.
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