Removal of Phosphate from Aqueous Solution with Modified Bentonite

Bentonite combined with sawdust and other metallic compounds was used to remove phosphate from aqueous solutions in this study. The adsorption characteristics of phosphate on the modified bentonite were investigated, including the effects of temperature, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration of phosphate and pH on removal of phosphate by conducting a series of batch adsorption experiments. The results showed that 98% of phosphate removal rate was obtained since sawdust and bentonite used in this investigation were abundantly and locally available. It is concluded that modified bentonite is a relatively efficient, low cost and easily available adsorbent for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions.