Adsorptive Removal of Heavy Metals from Groundwater by Iron Oxide Based Adsorbents

Groundwater source might be contaminated by several substances. Chemical precipitation and other methods become inefficient and the process of adsorption is one of the few alternatives available if groundwater is contaminated by heavy metals. This book describes the adsorption method in the removal of selected heavy metals using iron oxide coated sand (IOCS) and granular ferric hydroxide (GFH). The effects of pH, natural organic matter (fulvic acid (FA)) and interfering ions (PO43-, Ca2+) on the adsorption efficiency were also assessed. The sorption reactions that take place at the surface of the adsorbent were also described by the surface complexation modelling.