Abstract

Potentialities of tunisian smectitic clay to remove heavy metals from jebel chakir landfill leachate.

Author(s): Islem Chaari, Jalel Bouzid, Mongi feki, Fakher Jamoussi

Adsorptive removal of copper and nickel fromJebel Chakir landfill leachate onto smectitic clay mineral were carried out by both batch and column methods. The rawAYD clay was sampled in El Hamma area (Tunisia). The used adsorbent was characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, specific surface area, cation exchange capacity and point of zero charge. Results showed that raw AYD clay possesses a high surface area owing to its mineralogical composition. The point of zero charge (pH pzc) was 6.2. The increase in the clay quantity from 0.5 to 5.5g generates a reduction in the quantity of metals adsorbed in the solid phase. The heavy metals adsorption increases with a decrease in the pH leachate from8.11 to 5.0. The column experiments showed that the addition of sand to the J.Aidoudi clay can be useful for leachate depollution, but for a few volume due to the fine fraction of this clay (< 2m= 89.6%). the comparison study of the heavy metals adsorption on raw AYD clay by the two modes of adsorption (batch and column) showed that column test are better than that obtained by batch test.