The removal of lead by natural zeolite

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of natural zeolite samples obtained from Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia in the removal of lead (Pb) in solutions. This study included mineralogical characterization as well as a batch test in the laboratory with parameters including grain size, the mass of natural zeolite sample, pH, and initial concentration of the solution. The results of mineralogical characterization showed that the natural zeolite sample have varied constituent on mineral components and relatively have high cation exchange capacity (CEC). The results of the batch test showed that the adsorption behavior depends on the mass of the zeolite sample which the increasing of the sample mass will increase the adsorption capacity. The results of the following batch testing showed that the variations in grain size had a limited effect on the adsorption capacity and the effect of the pH of the solution being a significant parameter. The results of the following batch test also showed that the increasing initial concentration of Pb solution caused a decrease in adsorption capacity. In general, natural zeolite samples in the study area have sufficient adsorption capacity as adsorbent material for Pb solution. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2020.