CHARACTERIZATION OF SORPTION AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYDROXYL COMPLEXES

CHARACTERIZATION OF SORPTION AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYDROXYL COMPLEXES OF Cu and Zn IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION: THE

INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF MINE WASTEWATER-MIXED MINERAL SYSTEMS

EGIRANI, D.E 1, ANDREWS, J 2 AND JICKELLS,, T 2

1.FACULTY OF SCIENCE, NIGER DELTA UNIVERSITY WILBERFORCE ISLAND, NIGERIA

2.SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA, UKE-mail: eenonidavidson@yahoo.com

IN PRESS IJRSR 209 OF 2013

MEDGEO 2013 Conference

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

Cu and Zn are important in human body metabolism,

lead to poisoning at concentrations above safe limits.

a deficiency can cause growth depression, in a community where Cu-Zn metal-mineral

interaction exist, there is need to investigate the behavior of

these metals and their complexes as best revealed by sorption

LOCATION OF STUDY SITE

CHARACTERISTICS OF MINE WATER

FLOW DIAGRAM OF STUDIES

ISOTHERM and % SORPTION

where Kdtotal is the theoretical distribution coefficient for a 1:1 mixed suspension,

(a)kaolinite/montmorillonite,(b) kaolinite/goethite and (c)montmorillonite/goethite

Kdn is the distribution coefficient for n number of mineral suspensions,

n is the number of mineral suspensions,

ISOTHERM and % SORPTION

% metal sorbed = where C1 and Ce are the initial and

equilibrium metal concentrations

ASSUMPTIONS

differences between single and mixed mineral sorption are attributed to:

development of secondary mineral phase during sorbate-sorbent interaction

Activity of components minerals as individual networks or chemisorbed

species. differential mass of mixed and single

mineral phases

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

Aqueous speciation calculations using phreeqc use a chemical composition for a solution as input and calculate the distribution of aqueous species and

saturation indices for potential complexes.

Cu(OH)2⇒ CuOH+ +OH-

Zn(OH)2 ⇒ZnOH+ +OH-

:ISOTHERM - PARYS MOUNTAIN MINE WATER

actual and theoretical % sorption difference vs. pH of mixed mineral systems (a.kaolinite-mont, b. kaol-goethite and c. mont-goethite

ISOTHERM- CWMRHEIDOL MINE WATER

actual and theoretical % sorption difference vs. pH of mixed mineral systems (a.kaolinite-mont, b. kaol-goethite and c. mont-goethite

Copper and Zinc hydroxylation

Plot of saturation indices vs. pH of mine wastewater

Conclusions

None of the mineral systems reduced contaminants to U.S EPA levels,

for humans and aquatic life, Parys, mineral mixing favors Cu sorption

than Zn, Cwmrheidol, mixing favors Zn sorption

than Cu, Cu and Zn sorption was a function of the

mineral systems, mine water composition and pH

THE END

Abstract-Presentation ID# 216877

Presented by Dr. Davidson E. Egirani, at the 2013 Conference of the International Medical Geology Association (25–29 August 2013), Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A