Abstract
Nowadays, the network of roads and road infrastructure as petrol station, road drainage system etc. exemplify key sources of environmental pollution. Therefore, to ensure the acceptable quality of groundwater, a proper protection system is required. Recently, in this purpose the permeable reactive barrier (PRB) systems are commonly used. In order to examine the effectiveness of zeolite, medium filling PRBs, for removal of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd) from road runoff (aqueous solution) comprehensive laboratory investigations were undertaken in Department of Geotechnical Engineering Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW. The program of investigations consists of the kinetic and equilibrium tests with artificial solutions. To predict the kinetic constants of sorption for tested cations the first and second order kinetics equations were used. The chemical equilibrium of metal concentrations was reached after 24 h. The tests results indicate that the occurrence of competitive cations in solution reduced lead and copper concentrations. The percentage removal of particular heavy metals from aqueous solution was as follows: Cd – 54 %, Cu – 31 %, Ni – 48 %, Zn – 92 % and Pb – 70 %. The test results obtained demonstrate that zeolite could be a promising medium for removal of metal cations from road runoff.
