In Jordan, groundwater is the predominant reservoir utilized for human consumption since surface water makes a barely discernible contribution to supply. The investigation of inexpensive and readily accessible adsorbents for heavy metal extraction forms the topic of this research. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a filtration method for the subtraction of heavy metals, i.e. (Fe, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn and Cr), which employed white sand and chlorine as a large filter and oxidizing agent, respectively, and represented a simulation of the clarification procedure. The experiments were performed using pillared sand of varying grain dimensions to explore the impact of particulate size on the adsorption and retention of the heavy metals under examination. Sulfide ions employed as a catalyst.
The data revealed that the extraction of Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Co and Fe was 75%, 95%, 99%, 65%, 89% and 94%, respectively. Adsorption was conducted using a sand particle dimension of between 50 and 60 μm. Chlorination and sulfide facilitated oxidation, generating fixed oxide compounds. Owing to the notable part performed by the micro-sand particles, the heavy metal fixation was considered a result of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction and ion exchange. This study offers a novel perspective on drinking water clarification using white micro-sand, thus offering a relatively innovative strategy for the efficacious extraction of a number of heavy metals, which is apposite for application to drinking water resources.