Sorption of Cadmium(II) and Zinc(II) from Aqueous Solution by Water Treatment Residuals at Different pH Values

Here we report on the ability of two different water treatment residues, a Fe-based (Fe-WTR) and an Al-based (Al-WTR) ones, to accumulate Cd(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions at different pH values (pH 4.5, 5.5 and 7.0). Fe-WTR showed a greater Zn(II) and Cd(II) sorption capacity than Al-WTR at all the pH values investigated, in particular at pH 7.0 (e.g. ~0.200 mmol•g-1 and ~0.100 mmol•g-1 of Me(II) sorbed by Fe- and Al-WTR at pH 7.0 respectively). The greater capacity of the Fe-WTR to accumulate Me(II) seems to be linked to its higher content of iron and manganese ions and to its higher CEC value compared to Al-WTR. The role of the inorganic and organic fractions of WTRs in metals sorption was also assessed. A higher affinity of Cd(II) with respect to Zn(II) towards functional groups of the organic matter of both WTRs was observed, while Zn(II) showed a stronger association with the inorganic phases. The sorption of both metal ions appeared mainly governed by the formation of inner-sphere surface complexes with the inorganic and organic phases of WTRs, as suggested by the sequential extraction data.