Title: Low cost treatment of wastewater containing mercury salts

Authors: Debasis Goswami, Bhim Chandra Mondal, Arabinda K. Das

Addresses: Department of Chemistry, University of Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, India. Department of Chemistry, University of Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, India. Department of Chemistry, University of Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, India

Abstract: Removal of mercury from wastewater is of considerable significance from an environmental point of view. Treatment of wastewater containing mercury salts has been carried out with the help of modified fly-ash bed. The preparation of the bed material has been described. The effects of different parameters such as pH, exchange capacity and the presence of other constituents have been studied. Various mercury compounds, both mercury(I) and mercury(II), in synthetic mixtures as well as in actual wastewater samples containing mercury have been investigated. The removal of both mercury(I) and mercury(II) in different quantities has been investigated effectively utilising modified fly-ash bed. The recovery of mercury from the bed has also been studied. The use of modified fly-ash bed was found to be satisfactory and could be used as a low cost treatment method for the removal of mercury from wastewater.

Keywords: fly-ash bed; mercury removal; wastewater treatment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJW.2002.002077

International Journal of Water, 2002 Vol.2 No.1, pp.40-48

Published online: 15 Aug 2003 *

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