Adsorption of Zinc and Lead onto Sediments of the Dam Chorfa

At the laboratory level, we studied the effects of various factors, the initial concentration of metal ions, the pH of the solution, the amount of mud used and contact time, on the adsorption of zinc, and leads ions onto dam material (Mascara, Algeria). The constituents of silt sediment are quartz, calcite, and a mixture of clays. The equilibrium time was of the order of 60 min. The adsorption diagram is smooth and continuous leading to saturation, suggesting the possible monolayer coverage of zinc and lead ions on the surface of the adsorbent. The extent of adsorption increases with an increase in pH. Furthermore, the adsorption of metals increases with an increasing amount of adsorbent. The adsorption modeling was carried out using the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models to determine the mechanistic parameters associated with the adsorption process. The Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm model was the best to describe the experimental data. The maximum sorption capacity was found to be 42.73 and 131.57 mg/g for Zn2+ and Pb2+, respectively.