Kinetics and isotherm modelling of Zn(II) ions adsorption onto mine soils

The soils consist of various components that can play a significant role in control of heavy metals in the environment. Therefore, understanding of adsorption properties of soil is essential in solving pollution problems around mine sites. The goal of this paper is to study Zn(II) ions adsorption onto copper mine soil. Soils were examined via X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of various parameters such as effect of pH, adsorbent dose, and initial concentration of Zn(II) ions on adsorption was evaluated by batch method. The adsorption isotherms of Zn(II) ions such as Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin were studied. The Langmuir isotherm indicated an excellent fit for the experimental data in comparison with other isotherms that shown monolayer adsorption onto a homogenous surface. A number of kinetic models were tested to fit the kinetic data. The results show that soils can be more effective in decreasing heavy metals contamination specially Zn(II) ions from solution phase.