Organic waste materials and semi-products containing cellulose are used as low-cost adsorbents that are able to compete with conventional sorbents. In addition, their capacity to bind heavy metal ions can be intensified by chemical treatments using mineral and organic acids, bases, oxidizing agents, and organic compounds. In this paper, we studied the biosorption capacity of natural and modified wooden sawdust of poplar, cherry, spruce, and hornbeam in order to remove heavy metals from acidic model solutions. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed changes of the functional groups due to the alkaline modification of sawdust, which manifested in the considerably increased intensity of the hydroxyl peaks. The adsorption isotherm models clearly indicated that the adsorptive behavior of metal ions in treated sawdust satisfied not only the Langmuir model, but also the Freundlich model. The adsorption data obtained for studied sorbents were better fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model for both metals, except for spruce sawdust. Surface complexation and ion exchange are the major mechanisms involved in metal ion removal. We investigated the efficiency of the alkaline modified sawdust for metal removal under various initial concentrations of Cu(II) and Zn(II) from model solutions. The highest adsorption efficiency values (copper 94.3% at pH 6.8 and zinc 98.2% at pH 7.3) were obtained for poplar modified by KOH. For all types of sawdust, we found that the sorption efficiency of modified sorbents was higher in comparison to untreated sawdust. The value of the pH initially increased more in the case of modified sawdust (8.2 for zinc removal with spruce NaOH) and then slowly decreased (7.0 for Zn(II) with spruce NaOH).

Contaminated runoff stormwater from urban environments carries several contaminants to water bodies, thereby affecting the health of living beings and ecological systems. Among all the contaminants, heavy metals possess high toxicity and impact water quality. The stormwater management through green infrastructures composed by adequate materials can provide an excellent solution, simultaneously ensuring the appropriate hydraulic performance and contaminant removal rate. The proposed research aims at the elimination of heavy metals (i.e. Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) through column experiments by selecting four possible and novel treatments for urban stormwaters. Two lightweight aggregates (Arlita and Filtralite) were tested separately and in combination with CaCO3. The study determines the efficiency and lifetime of each treatment by varying the interaction time between the filter materials and contaminated water and the type of filter. The observed removal mechanisms were closely related to the changes in pH due to the interactions between water and different materials. The reductions in heavy metal concentrations depend on the type of heavy metal, interaction time and type of filter material. Results indicate that the combined use of CaCO3, Arlita and Filtralite did not improve the removal rates of heavy metals. However, it decreased the efficiency of the decontamination process. The significance of this study lies on the removal efficiency of Arlita and Filtralite as decontamination treatments. Both the tested lightweight aggregates led to a considerable decrease in the heavy metal concentrations in urban runoff stormwater although Filtralite was particularly efficient. After 4 weeks, the treatments were still successfully reducing and stabilising 99% of the heavy metals in the contaminated stormwater. These results confirm that the lifetime of the tested lightweight aggregates is adequate and emphasise, as a novel application of these materials, on their feasibility for the improvement of urban stormwater quality.

Pollution of water by toxic elements is one of the major factors of concern for human health, as well as for environmental quality, and draws a large amount of scientific attention. New and cheaper methods of wastewater treatment are increasing the quality of the environment and reducing the negative impacts on fauna, flora, and human beings. The sorption technique is considered a cost effective method for effectively removing heavy metals. During the past few years, there have been increasing studies dedicated to using low-cost adsorbents like bark, tannin-rich materials, lignin, chitosan peat moss, and sawdust. The presented paper describes the adsorption behavior of spruce wood sawdust. In order to determine its applicability for wastewater treatment, copper removal from model solutions was studied.

The development of human society after 18th century is associated with metals. Technology of extraction and processing of heavy metals is essential for many areas of industry. Naturally, the extraction, processing and cleaning of impurities give the metals not only a new form, but also cause their intensive distribution in the environment, which represents a huge threat. Countries of the middle Europe, where extraction of mineral resources takes place a long period, have to solve the problems of mine wastewater. Finding of the new and cheap ways of these wastewater treatment can increase the quality of the environment in the affected areas. Sorption techniques belong to an effective and cost acceptable methods for remove of heavy metals from aqueous environment. The presented paper describes the adsorption behavior of Slovak natural zeolite in fixed-bed column system. In order to determine its applicability for mine drainage treatment, copper removal from model sulfuric acid solutions (pH 4) was studied.