Abstract
The occurrence and the treatment of potentially toxic metals in wastes are investigated by many studies, especially in territories exploited by industrial activities. Improper phosphogypsum waste storage is of serious environmental concern. The present work aimed to evaluate the potential of natural clay minerals from the Gabes area, southern Tunisia for sorption of several toxic metals (Zn, Cd, Cr, and As) that may leach from waste phosphogypsum. Clay materials are known by their versatility as adsorbents due to their low cost, great surface area, interchange capacity, and abundance in nature. The three clay samples collected in various locations in the Gabes district-Southern Tunisia were characterized by different techniques including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The natural clays are mainly composed of alumina, iron, silica, calcium, and magnesium oxides. Chemical analysis of phosphogypsum waste indicated a high concentration of potentially toxic metals, particularly Cd, Cr, Zn, and As. Contents of the radioactive elements U and Thin contrast, were low not of environmental concern. Adsorption data showed that the studied three natural clay samples removed substantial amounts of metals (Zn, Cd, Cr, and As) from phosphogypsum waste. The removal efficiency followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model. These results suggest that the natural clays from Gabes area, Tunisia, turned out to be an effective natural adsorbent for capturing metals from phosphogypsum waste and can be effectively used for the treatment of contaminated wastewaters in the environment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ajam L, Ben Ouezdou M, Felfoul HS, Mensi RE (2009) Characterization of the Tunisian phosphogypsum and its valorization in clay bricks. Constr Build Mater 23:3240–3247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2009.05.009
Al-Degs YS, El-Barghouthi MI, Issa AA, Khraisheh MA, Walker GM (2006) Sorption of Zn(II), Pb(II), and Co(II) using natural sorbents: equilibrium and kinetic studies. Water Res 40:2645–2658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2006.05.018
Appel N, Zayas M, Miller S, Krijnse-Locker J, Schaller T, Friebe P, Kallis S, Engel U, Bartenschlager R (2008) Essential role of domain III of nonstructural protein 5a for hepatitis c virus infectious particle assembly. PLoS Pathog 4:e1000035. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000035
Bagheri AR, Ghaedi M, Asfaram A, Hajati S, Ghaedi AM, Bazrafshan A, Rahimi MR (2016) Modeling and optimization of simultaneous removal of ternary dyes onto copper sulfide nanoparticles loaded on activated carbon using second-derivative spectrophotometry. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 65:212–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2016.05.004
Benguella B (2002) Cadmium removal from aqueous solutions by chitin: kinetic and equilibrium studies. Water Res 36:2463–2474. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(01)00459-6
Beretka J, Matthew PJ (1985) Natural radioactivity of Australian building materials, industrial wastes and by-products. Health Phys 48(1):87–95
Beveridge A, Pickering WF (1983) The influence of surfactants on the adsorption of heavy metal ions by clays. Water Res 17:215–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(83)90102-1
Bhattacharyya KG, Gupta SS (2008) Adsorption of a few heavy metals on natural and modified kaolinite and montmorillonite: a review. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science 140(2):114–131
Bigu J, Hussein MI, Hussein AZ (2000) Radioactivity measurements in Egyptian phosphate mines and their significance in the occupational exposure of mine workers. J Environ Radioact 47(3):229–243
Briffa J, Sinagra E, Blundell R (2020) Heavy metal pollution in the environment and their toxicological effects on humans. Heliyon 6:e04691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04691
Calace N, Di Muro A, Nardi E, Petronio BM, Pietroletti M (2002) Adsorption isotherms for describing heavy-metal retention in paper mill sludges. Ind Eng Chem Res 41:5491–5497. https://doi.org/10.1021/ie011029u
Çoruh S (2008) The removal of zinc ions by natural and conditioned clinoptilolites. Desalination 225:41–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2007.06.015
Dammak N, Ouledltaief O, Fakhfakh N, Benzina M (2014) Adsorption equilibrium studies for O -xylene vapour and modified clays system: adsorption of O -xylene vapour on modified clays. Surf Interface Anal 46:457–464. https://doi.org/10.1002/sia.5534
Eloussaief M, Kallel N, Yaacoubi A, Benzina M (2011) Mineralogical identification, spectroscopic characterization, and potential environmental use of natural clay materials on chromate removal from aqueous solutions. Chem Eng J 168:1024–1031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2011.01.077
Felfoul HS, Clastres P, Benouezdou M (2005) Gestion des sous-produits industriels et developpement durable: cas du phosphogypse de sfax (tunisie). Sciences & Technologie. B, Sciences de l'ingénieur 66–81
Forgacs E, Cserháti T, Oros G (2004) Removal of synthetic dyes from wastewaters: a review. Environ Int 30:953–971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2004.02.001
Futalan CM, Kan C-C, Dalida ML, Hsien K-J, Pascua C, Wan M-W (2011) Comparative and competitive adsorption of copper, lead, and nickel using chitosan immobilized on bentonite. Carbohydr Polym 83:528–536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.08.013
Gharbi M, Masrouhi A, Espurt N, Bellier O, Amari EA, Ben Youssef M, Ghanmi M (2013) New tectono-sedimentary evidences for Aptian to Santonian extension of the Cretaceous rifting in the northern Chotts range (southern Tunisia). J Afr Earth Sci 79:58–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2012.09.017
Ghorbel-Abid I, Galai K, Trabelsi-Ayadi M (2010) Retention of chromium (III) and cadmium (II) from aqueous solution by illitic clay as a low-cost adsorbent. Desalination 256:190–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2009.06.079
Goldberg M, Melchior M, Leclerc A, Lert F (2002) Les déterminants sociaux de la santé: apports récents de l'épidémiologie sociale et des sciences sociales de la santé. Sciences Sociales et Santé 20(4):75–128
Guidry GG, George RB (1990) Diagnostic studies in catamenial hemoptysis. Chest 98(2):260–261
Gupta S, Bhattacharyya K (2006) Removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solution by kaolinite, montmorillonite and their poly(oxo zirconium) and tetrabutylammonium derivatives. J Hazard Mater 128:247–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2005.08.008
Horton P, Hague A (1988) Studies on the induction of chlorophyll fluorescence in isolated barley protoplasts. IV. Resolution of non-photochemical quenching. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Bioenergetics 932:107–115
Hussein HJ, Capp SP, George WK (1994) Velocity measurements in a high Reynolds-number, momentum-conserving, axisymmetric, turbulent jet. J Fluid Mech 258:31–75
Jafari M, Rahimi MR, Ghaedi M, Javadian H, Asfaram A (2017) Fixed-bed column performances of azure-II and auramine-O adsorption by Pinus eldarica stalks activated carbon and its composite with zno nanoparticles: optimization by response surface methodology based on central composite design. J Colloid Interface Sci 507:172–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2017.07.056
Jaouadi NZ, Rekik H, Badis A, Trabelsi S, Belhoul M, Yahiaoui AB et al (2013) Biochemical and molecular characterization of a serine keratinase from Brevibacillus brevis US575 with promising keratin-biodegradation and hide-dehairing activities. PloS One 8(10):e76722
Kaya A, Ören AH (2005) Adsorption of zinc from aqueous solutions to bentonite. J Hazard Mater 125:183–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2005.05.027
Kocaoba S, Orhan Y, Akyüz T (2007) Kinetics and equilibrium studies of heavy metal ions removalby use of natural zeolite. Desalination 214:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2006.09.023
Lin SH, Lai SL, Leu HG (2000) Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by chelating resin in a multistage adsorption process. J Hazard Mater 76:139–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3894(00)00207-7
Liu X, Wang M, Zhang S, Pan B (2013) Application potential of carbon nanotubes in water treatment: a review. J Environ Sci 25:1263–1280. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(12)60161-2
Masindi V, Muedi KL (2018) Environmental contamination by heavy metals, in: Saleh, H.E.-D.M., Aglan, R.F. (Eds.), Heavy Metals. InTech. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76082
Mazaheri H, Ghaedi M, Asfaram A, Hajati S (2016) Performance of CuS nanoparticle loaded on activated carbon in the adsorption of methylene blue and bromophenol blue dyes in binary aqueous solutions: using ultrasound power and optimization by central composite design. J Mol Liq 219:667–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2016.03.050
Naderi M (2015) Surface area, in: progress in filtration and separation. Elsevier, pp. 585–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384746-1.00014-8
Papastefanou C, Manolopoulou M, Stoulos S, Ioannidou A, Gerasopoulos E (2001) Coloured rain dust from Sahara Desert is still radioactive. J Environ Radioact 55(1):109–112
Rutherford PM, Dudas MJ, Arocena JM (1995) Radium in phosphogypsum leachates. J Environ Qual 24:307–314. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1995.00472425002400020014x
Rutherford PM, Dudas MJ, Samek RA (1994) Environmental impacts of phosphogypsum. Sci Total Environ 149:1–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-9697(94)90002-7
Salman JM, Njoku VO, Hameed BH (2011) Adsorption of pesticides from aqueous solution onto banana stalk activated carbon. Chem Eng J 174:41–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2011.08.026
Sdiri A, Higashi T, Hatta T, Jamoussi F, Tase N (2011) Evaluating the adsorptive capacity of montmorillonitic and calcareous clays on the removal of several heavy metals in aqueous systems. Chem Eng J 172:37–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2011.05.015
Unuabonah EI, Adebowale KO, Olu-Owolabi BI, Yang LZ, Kong LX (2008) Adsorption of Pb (II) and Cd (II) from aqueous solutions onto sodium tetraborate-modified Kaolinite clay: equilibrium and thermodynamic studies. Hydrometallurgy 93:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2008.02.009
Van Poucke R, Meers E, Tack FMG (2020) Leaching behavior of Cd, Zn and nutrients (K, P, S) from a contaminated soil as affected by amendment with biochar. Chemosphere 245:125561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125561
van Reeuwijk C (2002) Enigma code breaking using a field programmable gate array. Delft University of Technology Parallel and Distributed Systems, Report Series PDS-2002-001
Yahya K, Msadok I, Mlayah A, Srasra E, Hamdi N (2021) Retention and selectivity of phosphate and fluoride from single and industrial aqueous solutions using purified and surfactant modified Tunisian clay. Desalination Water Treat 216:199–210. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2021.26814
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Institute of Arid Regions of Medenine (IRA) for providing the necessary funding to undertake the experimental works; the Department of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ghent University), Gent, Belgium, at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, and the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science (Ghent University), for performing the analysis; and Professor Mohamed Ouessar, Researcher in Eremology and Combating Desertification Laboratory (IRA) by expressing our sincere gratitude for his consistent guidance and support, patience, and for all his time.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Amjad Kallel
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moussa, K.B., Eturki, S., Van Poucke, R. et al. Evaluating the adsorptive capacity of three Tunisian clays deposits for several potentially toxic metals in phosphogypsum waste. Arab J Geosci 15, 911 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10073-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10073-x