Removal of divalent heavy metals (Co2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cd2+) and ammonium (NH4+) from waste water using natural Western Azarbaijan Zeolite

Heavy metals and ammonium ion are toxic priority pollutants that commonly interfere with the beneficial use of wastewater for domestic and industrial application. Therefore removal of inorganic contaminants mentioned from wastewater would have vital importance for protection of public health. The most widely used method of removing inorganic compounds from wastewater is ion exchange process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of the utilization of natural Western Azarbaijan Zeolite for removal of heavy metal ions (Co2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cd2+) and Ammonium ion (NH4+) from waste water by ion exchange. Both batch and continuous experiments were carried out. The effects of relevant parameters, such as initial ammonium concentration, dosage of absorbent, stirring time, particle size, pH and thermal analysis on removal efficiency completely were investigated. The cation exchange capacity of natural Western Azarbaijan zeolite was found to be 1.79 meq g -1. It can be concluded that the natural Western Azarbaijan zeolite has the excellent potential for removing ammonium ion and heavy metal from aqueous solutions and is suggested for wastewater treatment purposes.