LATERITE GRAINS AS A LOW-COST ADSORBENT TO TREAT HEAVY METAL-CONTAMINATED WATER: A REVIEW

Authors

  • Arachchillage Buddhika Priyadarshani Bandara Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Peradeniya
  • Ken Kawamoto

Keywords:

Laterite, Heavy Metals, Adsorbent, Adsorption, Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination of water sources is an alarming issue across the globe. It may cause
several health problems in humans in addition to its damage to aquatic organisms and its adverse effects on the
environment. Among the wastewater treatment techniques of heavy metals, adsorption is much favored due to
its cost-effectiveness and easy availability, especially in developing countries in tropical and semi-tropical
climate regions. Moreover, natural geo-adsorbents like laterite and its crushed grains can be adopted as an
attractive alternative adsorbent in floatation and filtration water treatment systems. In this review, the
application of natural and pre-treated laterite grains as a low-cost adsorbent was examined based on selected
journal articles published during 1990–2020. This paper summarizes basic physical and chemical properties
including surface charge and element compositions of tested samples, batch adsorption results including initial
conditions, isotherm and kinetic models, and adsorption and thermodynamic parameters such as the maximum
adsorption capacity, removal percentage, and Gibbs free energy that categorize the natural and pre-treated
laterite grains. In addition, the results of some previous studies of column experiments and
desorption/regeneration of adsorbed heavy metals are described together with prospects for future studies and
the applicability of laterite in wastewater treatment for heavy metal remediation.

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Published

2022-06-01 — Updated on 2022-06-01

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How to Cite

Bandara, A. B. P., & Kawamoto, K. . (2022). LATERITE GRAINS AS A LOW-COST ADSORBENT TO TREAT HEAVY METAL-CONTAMINATED WATER: A REVIEW. GEOMATE Journal, 22(94), 73–82. Retrieved from https://geomatejournal.com/geomate/article/view/3228

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