ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Preparation of iron, aluminium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc humates for environmental applications

Sylvie Kříženecká, Stanislav Hejda, Vladimír Machovič, and Josef Trögl

Faculty of Environment, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Králova výšina 7, 40096, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

E-mail: sylvie.krizenecka@ujep.cz

Abstract: A few non-conventional humate sorbents, i.e. iron humate (FeH), aluminium humate (AlH), calcium humate (CaH), magnesium humate (MgH), and zinc humate (ZnH), were prepared from a commercial product Fortehum L/K (Humatex, Bílina, Czech Republic). The metal content in humates was determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis, the organic elements (C, H, N, and S) were analysed by an Elementar Vario III and the functional groups were determined by classical methods using KBr pellets and diffuse reflection infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS). FeH, AlH, and ZnH were tested as sorbents for the removal of inorganic or organic pollutants (metals, inorganic ions, dyes, and chlorophenols) from waste water. Sorption properties decreased in order: ZnH, AlH, FeH. CaH and MgH are partly soluble and therefore they are not usable as sorbents. However, their ion-exchange abilities for heavy metals are excellent which makes them usable for phytoremediation and bioremediation.

Keywords: metal humates – humic substances characterisation – sorption – remediation

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-014-0586-y

Chemical Papers 68 (11) 1443–1451 (2014)