Adsorption Of Heavy Metals From Mining Wastewater Using Amino-Acid Modified Montmorillonite-Ghana

Studies conducted on the Pra River Basin in Ghana have shown high concentrations in heavy metal pollution order Mercury,Cadmium,Arsenic,Chromium,Lead,Nickel,and Copper due to mining activities.Herein reported,is the adsorption capacity of Amino Acid modified Montmorillonite?AA-Monts?,consisting of L-Cysteine montmorillonites?Cys-Mont?,Glycine montmorillonite?Gly-Mont?and L-lysine Montmorillonites?Lys-Mont?,and with different initial adsorbent doses in mining wastewater.The applied conditions were adsorbent dosages?25mg-400mg?,p H of?6.0?,contact time of?24h?,temperature?25^oC?,shaker speed?180rmp?,the concentration of Cu²⁺?10.84mg/L-108.48mg/g?,Ni²⁺?7.99mg/g–79.92mg/g?,and Pb²⁺?33.538mg/L–335.38mg/L?.The maximum average removal efficiency for Cu?II?,Ni?II?,and Pb?II?was attained 400mg/L for all AA-Monts,in the order Lys-Mont?99.82%?>Cys-Mont?99.28%?>Gly-Mont?95.8%?.The highest and lowest recorded amounts adsorbed by Lys-Mont were Cu²⁺?86.49 and 8.65?mg/g,Ni²⁺?44.51 and 5.99?mg/g and Pb²⁺?267.85 and 26.67?mg/g.The general order of selectivity for the adsorption experiments was Pb>Cu>Ni for all the AA-Monts studied and this was probably as a result of the concentration of Heavy Metals in the synthesized aqueous solution of each experimental batch.