Influence of phosphate on cadmium sorption by calcium carbonate

Laboratory investigation was conducted to investigate the mechanism of cadmium sorption by pure calcium carbonate and to examine whether, reaction products of phosphate with calcium carbonate serve as a sink for sorption of toxic heavy metal cations like cadmium. The phosphatization of calcium carbonate (G.R) was carried out by treating it with orthophosphoric acid in Ca:P ratio of 5:3, 3:2, 4:3 and 1:1, representing the Ca–P ratios of carbonate apatite, tricalcium phosphate, octacalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate and then equilibrated for two months. The X-ray diffraction of the phosphate reaction products revealed that calcite along with monetite, brushite and carbonate apatite were present in each case. The cadmium was effectively retained on CaCO3 by the mechanism of chemisorption at lower Cd2+ concentrations as the pH of the equilibrium system remained constant (8.6) up to initial Cd2+ concentrations of 10−4 mol, coinciding to 100% sorption of Cd2+ from the solution. At higher concentrations, precipitation of CdCO3 on CaCO3 surface or as a separate phase predominated. Enrichment of CaCO3 with P reduced the Cd-sorption. The chemisorption of Cd probably involved the exchange of Ca2+ by Cd2+ from CaCO3 surface. The Cd2+ concentration in equilibrium solution followed the solubility diagram of CdCO3 at pH ≤ 8.6, whereas the concentration of Ca2+ started deviating from the solubility line at pH ≤ 8.2.