Zeolite as a natural adsorbent for nitrogenous compounds being removed from water

Abstract

Abstract Water is vital to the survival of humans and all other life forms, yet many sources of freshwater are being contaminated due to pollution, significantly limiting freshwater availability, and threatening human existence. Nitrates and ammonium are common water contaminants whose concentrations in water have increased significantly due to the excessive use of fertilisers. High concentrations of such contaminants in water can lead to multiple health issues, and thus controlling the concentration levels of these pollutants in water grows into the main task for environmental scientists. A natural zeolite filter was employed in this study to minimise traces of contaminants in water. Samples of synthetic polluted water were prepared that contained 50 mg/L of each contaminant for the laboratory tests. Testing natural zeolite doses ranging from 1 to 5 g/L at various pH levels (between 3 and 10) showed that a zeolite filter significantly improved the water quality from the initial concentrations of each pollutant by between 10 and 50 mg/l. In particular, more than 93% of both contaminants (nitrate and ammonium) were removed by using a 5 g/L dose of zeolite in a neutral pH level range for 120 minutes.