Mercury and Cadmium Adsorption by Conventional and Modified Granular Activated Carbon

In the last few years, a number of adsorption and ion exchange techniques have been developed to treat a wide range of domestic and industrial effluents containing heavy metals. Carbonaceous materials have been extensively used to remove a wide range of contaminants from wastewater, especially organic micropollutants, and to a lesser extent toxic heavy metals. Conventional granular activated carbon can be modified by oxidation to enhance metal uptake. It is now well established that oxidation results in a significant increase in the proportion of weakly acidic groups present on the surface of the adsorbent.