A NOVEL PROCESS FOR HEAVY METAL REMOVAL FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE WATER

PROTECTION OF GROUND-WATER AND MARINE WATERS IS A COMPLEX ISSUE AND A VITAL PUBLIC CONCERN. ONCE CONTAMINATED,IT CAN BE TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT AND ENORMOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO CLEAN UP. ONE WAY TO PROTECT THESE WATERS FROM CONTAMINATION IS THOUGH THE CONTROL OF INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES. OFTEN THOUGH, CONTROL PROCESSES ARE NOT PRACTICAL IN TREATING HIGH FLOW RATES OR THOSE WITH RELATIVELY LOW CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATIONS. THIS PROPOSAL INVOLVES A NOVEL LIQUID MEMBRANE PROCESS FOR REMOVING HEAVY METALS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER STREAMS. THE SPECIFIC CONTAMINANT ADDRESSED IN THIS WORK IS COPPER REMOVAL, WHICH HAS BECOME A SERIOUS CONCERN BECAUSE OF ITS TOXICITY TO AQUATIC LIFE. THE PROPOSED LIQUID MEMBRANE PROCESS HAS SEVERAL ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER METHODS SUCH AS SOLVENT EXTRACTION, CONVENTIONAL SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANE AND EMULSION LIQUID MEMBRANE PROCESSES. SOME OF THESE ADVANTAGES INCLUDE: HIGH PERMEABILITY, MEMBRANE STABILITY, COMBINING EXTRACTION AND STRIPPING STEPS IN THE SAME UNIT, AND THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HIGH CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATIONS IN THE STRIPPING SOLUTION. IF THE CONCEPT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED ON A SMALL SCALE, IT CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO SEVERAL CONTAMINANTS OTHER THAN COPPER.