Removal of heavy metals from mine wastewater from mines Sasa and Buchim, Macedonia using zeolite bearing tuff

The adsorption of heavy metal ions (copper, manganese, zinc and lead) onto a zeolite bearing tuff (stilbite) from acid mine drainages taken from mines Sasa and Buchim, Macedonia is elaborated in this paper.
The physical and chemical properties of the used natural material, zeolite bearing tuff, are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy. The concentration of metal ions in mine wastewater before and after treatment are obtained by AES - ICP.
The experiments were performed in a batch mode in a series of beakers equipped with magnetic stirrers by contacting 5 g of zeolite bearing tuff with a certain volume of 400 ml. Magnetic stirrer at 400 rpm was used for agitation up to 360 min, at temperature on 20oC.
Zeolite bearing tuff successfully removes heavy metals (copper, manganese, zinc and lead) from studied mining wastewater. After treatment the concentration of heavy metals are reduced and the pH value are increased, so it can be released into natural waterways.