Influence of natural minerals on contaminated solutions pH values

Abstract

The protection and arrangement of agricultural areas in order to obtain health-safe food is extremely important to know the mobility of heavy metals lead, cadmium, zinc and uranium as radionuclides. This research investigated the influence of mineral raw materials (apatite and zeolite) on the mobility of heavy metals and radionuclides in a column system with constant pressure at different pH values (5.0 and 7.0). The tested solutions were contaminated with metals (lead, cadmium, zinc and uranium), in a concentration of 300 mg/l in time intervals of 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes. It was experimentally determined that there were significant changes in the pH value of the filtrate. The results showed that both apatite and zeolite successfully immobilized lead at both pH values. Uranium immobilization was better performed in columns with apatite, zeolite showed better properties in cadmium immobilization, and tests on a solution contaminated with zinc showed that both apatite and zeolite show similar affinity. The obtained results were statistically processed using the method of two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measurements. Further research will be based on monitoring the morphophysiological properties of underground and aboveground parts of plants on contaminated soil samples when apatite and zeolite are applied.