Arsenic removal from groundwater by MnO2-modified natural clinoptilolite zeolite: Effects of pH and initial feed concentration

Adsorption of arsenic (As5+) on natural and MnO2-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite adsorbents was investigated to explore the feasibility of removing arsenic from groundwater using natural zeolite adsorbents. The natural and MnO2-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite adsorbents were characterized with nitrogen adsorption at 77 K for pore textural properties, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence for morphology, elemental composition and distribution. Batch adsorption equilibrium experiments were conducted to study the effects of pH and initial feed concentration on arsenic removal efficiency. It was found that the amphoteric properties and arsenic removal efficiency of the natural clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite were significantly improved after modification with MnO2. The MnO2-modified zeolite could effectively remove arsenic from water at a wide pH range, and the arsenic removal efficiency that is basically independent of the pH of feed solutions varies slightly with the initial arsenic concentration in the feed solutions. The removal efficiency obtained on the modified zeolite was doubled as compared to that obtained on the unmodified zeolite. The MnO2-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite appears to be a promising adsorbent for removing trace arsenic amounts from water.