Determinación del ph y dosis óptimos para la remoción de plomo en aguas mediante el uso de mineral aluminosilicato de la localidad de cacha

Abstract

The research aim was to determine the combination of pH and dosage factors that achieve an optimal removal of lead in water, using as adsorbent an aluminosilicate mineral from Cacha in Chimborazo province. For this purpose, the treatment of the aluminosilicate mineral began with the size reduction, which consisted of manual crushing, followed by grinding and, as a last step, sieving of the material until a particle diameter of less than 150 µm was reached. The treatment continued with the purification of the mineral, with the elimination of organic matter and carbonates using hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid, respectively. The readings before and after water treatment with lead through the application of aluminosilicates mineral and pH adjustment were carried out by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA). As a result of the treatment with the combination of pH and adsorbent dose, the maximum removal of lead II was obtained when working with a pH of 6 and a dose of 0.5 g L-1 of adsorbent composed of aluminosilicates mineral from Cacha. This research shows the potential of aluminosilicates mineral for the removal of lead II in water, so it is recommended that similar studies be carried out with other types of pollutants and heavy metals.