Geoenvironmental study – Treatment of acid mine drainage using zeolite clinoptilolite

This work is a feasibility study on the use of clinoptilolite, one of the commonest and most abundant of the natural zeolites, as permeable wall and filter material for acid mine drainage (AID) treatment. Natural AID leachate from a copper mine site was studied for the metal ions adsorption and reaction time onto clinoptilolite. Artificial binary heavy metal solutions of Cu, Cd, and Pb were also studied for their adsorptivity on clinoptilolite, with the aim of determining their maximum adsorption capacity and ion selectivity. The results indicated that clinoptilolite adsorption is mostly completed in the first 15 minutes and has a high metal retention capacity in both natural AID leachate and artificial test solutions. The results showed that clinoptilolite has promise for use as permeable wall and filter material for AID treatment for copper mine leachate.