ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Adsorption of Copper, Zinc, and Nickel
Using Loesses as Adsorbents by Column Studies
Pongsakorn Punrattanasin1, Panha Sariem2
More details
Hide details
1Research Center for Environmental and Hazardous Substance Management, Khon Kaen University,
2Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University,
123 Moo 16 Mittapap Road, Nai-Muang, Muang District, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Submission date: 2014-09-27
Final revision date: 2015-01-12
Acceptance date: 2015-01-18
Publication date: 2015-05-20
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(3):1267-1275
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The adsorption behaviors of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) on red and yellow loesses in Khon
Kaen were evaluated by applying small-scale column studies. Continuous flows with the constant flow rate of
the influents were consecutively implemented within three different cycles: adsorption, desorption, and
adsorption processes. The results illustrated that the adsorption capabilities between cycles I and III were
found to be significantly different. The adsorption process in cycle I appeared to be more effective than cycle
III due to the availability of more adsorption site and the incomplete desorption of the metal ions from the
adsorbent surface. The experimental and theoretical analyses showed that adsorption capacities were in the
order of Cu<Zn<Ni, while yellow loess consisted of the highest adsorption capacity. The Thomas and Yoon-
Nelson models can predict the adsorption behaviors in this study.