ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE PURIFICATION OF GROUNDWATER USING NATURAL ZEOLITES FROM THE CHANKANAI DEPOSIT

Abstract

The article examines the potential application of natural zeolites from the Chankanai deposit as an effective natural sorbent for the purification of groundwater from hardness salts and ions of heavy non-ferrous metals. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to develop environmentally safe and cost-effective water treatment methods using natural mineral raw materials. The study focuses on groundwater characterized by increased hardness and the presence of dissolved contaminants, as well as model solutions simulating the composition of contaminated water. Experimental studies were carried out under static and dynamic conditions, with variation of the contact time, sorbent dosage, and water filtration rate. The effect of sorption interaction conditions on the removal efficiency of hardness salts and copper, lead, and zinc ions was determined. It was demonstrated that preliminary activation of the natural zeolite enhances its sorption capacity toward aqueous-phase components. The sorption characteristics of individual heavy metal ions were identified, with particular attention to their dependence on the contact time between the sorbent and treated water and on the process operating conditions. The obtained results confirm the potential of zeolites from the Chankanai deposit for application in technologies for the purification of natural and groundwater. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using locally available natural mineral raw materials to develop environmentally safe sorption systems for water treatment.