Zeitschrift für Umweltanalytische Chemie

Sudanese Thomsonite as Ion Exchanger to Removal Pb2+, Fe3+ and Ni2+ from Artificial Wastewater

Abstract

MD Alzubair Almalih* and MD Talballa

Zeolite samples were collected from Wadkawly in Gadarif region. These samples were characterized with respect chemical properties by AAS, SEM and X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD) showed these samples to be composed of Thomsonite zeolite, exclusively. The sample was treated with strong brine solution to ensure that Na-zeolite was generated and used as the stationary ion exchanger phase. Solutions containing 100 ppm of heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Fe3+and Ni2+) were artificially prepared and then processed with Na-zeolite. Excellent extraction was achieved, with final residual concentration of 0.02 ppb, 3.0 ppb and 1.38 ppm for (Pb2+, Fe3+ and Ni2+) respectively and retention time 180 seconds for decreasing concentrations. This gives extraction efficiency of ~ 100%, 99.9%, and 98.6%, for Pb2+, Fe3+ and Ni2+, respectively. The relative efficiency is, therefore: Pb2+ > Fe3+ > Ni2+.