Adsorption and Purification of Zinc in Mining Wastewater Using Microbial Immobilization Technology

Abstract

The Leptospirillum ferrooxidans has been selected and cultivated from mine area and applied in treatment of Zn²⁺-containing wastewater in the laboratory and real Zn²⁺-containing wastewater. The principle of its adsorption process was probed. The results show that the main factors which affect the zinc uptake are pH value, ways of pretreatment, contacting time, co-existing ions, Leptospirillum ferrooxidans concentration in solutions, etc. It was able to adsorb Zn²⁺ efficiently. After adsorption steps of the treatment, the concentration of Zn²⁺ in solution met the standard for treating wastewater. After adsorption treatment of containing zinc mine wastewater, the concentration of zinc ions reaches the first class of irrigation water quality standards.