Adsorption of heavy metals on vermiculite: Influence of pH and organic ligands

The sorption behaviour of vermiculite has been studied with respect to cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc as a function of pH and in the presence of different ligands. The continuous column method was used in order to evaluate the feasibility to use the clay in wastewater purification systems. The total capacity of vermiculite was found to decrease in the following order: Mn > Ni > Zn > Cd > Cu > Pb. The adsorption of metal ions on vermiculite decreases with decreasing pH and increasing ionic strength. In general, the metal uptake on the clay was hindered by the presence of strong complexing agents in solution and it decreases with increasing of the complexation constants of the ligands with exception of cysteine and tiron. It is necessary, hence, to consider all these factors to effectively predict the uptake efficiency of this sorbent. However, it is possible to conclude that the vermiculite has good potentialities for cost-effective treatments of metal-contaminated wastewaters. The uptake of metals on vermiculite in presence of organic ligands depends on the charge of the complexes and is consistent with the order of their stability constants.