Immobilization of some metals in contaminated sludge by zeolite prepared from local materials

In this study, zeolite was prepared from cheap local Egyptian clay (kaolin) and characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, SEM. The prepared zeolite was used as a binder for immobilization of the metals Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ in contaminated sewage sludge. Different leaching tests were conducted to determine the efficiency of the prepared zeolite for metal stabilization. The leaching of the metals from stabilized sludge decreased as the zeolite amount increased. It was found that 10% of zeolite is sufficient for the stabilization of all metal ions under investigation. It was suggested that the metal uptake mechanism by zeolite was by an ion-exchange mechanism. Examination of the solidified sample for its compressive strength after curing for 28 days yielded a value of 0.83 MPa, which indicates that the treated sludge was well solidified and safe to be used in a wide variety of applications, for instance as a raw material for pavement blocks.