Removal of Heavy Metal Ions in Wastewater by Semnan Natural Zeolite

Many toxic heavy metals have been discharged into the environment as industrial wastes, causing serious soil and water pollution. Industrial wastewater contain a variety of heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Hg, Cu, Ni, Zn and Cr and have a high potential of contaminating the receiving water bodies. These metals that tend to accumulate in organisms, causing numerous diseases and disorders. They are also common groundwater contaminants at industrial and military installations. Numerous processes exist for removing dissolved heavy metals, including ion exchange, precipitation, extraction, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and solid phase extraction. The use of alternative low-cost materials as potential sorbents for the removal of heavy metals has been emphasized recently. In this study, the potential of Semnan natural zeolites has been investigated for removal of heavy metal cations from industrial waste waters.