HEAVY METAL REMOVAL AT THE PPB LEVEL FROM CULINARY WATER USING A NOVEL MACROCYCLE-SILICA GEL DEVICE

IT IS DESIRABLE TO HAVE A MTHOD FOR EFFICIENT, COST EFFEC- TIVE, AND SIMULTANEOUS REMOVAL OF PB(II), AG(I), CD(II) AND HG(II) FROM POTABLE WATER TO LEVELS WELL BELOW THEIR EPA LIMITS. SUCH A METHOD COULD BE USED BY BOTH MUNICIPAL WATER WASTE TREATMENT PLALNTS. THE INTERACTION OF THE MACROCYCLE TETRAAZA-18CROWN WITH THE METALS OF INTEREST IS OF SUFFI- CIENT STRENGTH AND SELECTIVITY TO REMOVE THE METALS FROM A POTABLE WATER MATRIX. THE INNOVATION OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH LIES IN THE ABILITY TO ATTACH THE MACROCYCLE IN A PERMANENT BOND TO SILICA GEL WHILE MAINTAINING ITS COMPLEX- ING ABILITIES. SUCH A MATERIAL CAN THEN BE INCORPORATED IN ACOLUMNULAR SYSTEM TO ACCOMPLISH THE DESIRED REMOVAL. THE FEASIBILITY OF THE BOUND MACROCYCLE SYNTHESIS AND REMOVAL PROCEDURE WILL BE SHOWN IN PHASE I. IN PHASE II, THE REMOVASYSTEM WILL BE AUTOMATED AND TESTED ON A PILOT PLANT SCALE ALLOWING FOR ACTUAL USE IN THE REDUCTION OF AG(I), CD (II), HG(II) AND PB(II) IN POTABLE WATER AND WASTE STREAMS TO AT LEAST PPT LEVEL. POTENTIAL BENEFITS: 1. SYSTEM CAPABLE OF REMOVAL OF EFFICIENT AND COST EF- FECTIVE PPB LEVELS OF PB, HG, CD, AND AG FROM POTA- BLE WATER AND WASTE STREAMS TO LEVELS WELL BELOW EPA LIMITS; AND 2. PREDICTIVE METHODOLOGY FOR DECIDING WHEN OTHER MACRO CYCLE BONDED SILICA GEL COLUMNS CAN BE USED FOR TOX- IC WASTE REMOVAL.