Oxyhumolite as a sorbent of Cu-II from phosphate-containing solutions

Abstract

This study explores the use of oxyhumolite (OX) for sorption removal of CuII from sewage containing phosphates. It was discovered that the adsorption of CuII markedly depends on pH and linearly increases with increasing pH values. Adsorption efficiency of OX for phosphates is approximately constant (E≈13%) and does not depend on the pH value. The optimum pH range for the selective sorption was determined to be between 3.3–3.7 (ECu≈90%). The good sorption efficiency for CuII results from the high content of humic acids and the presence of inorganic components.