title: Potential of Brass to Remove Inorganic Hg(II) from Aqueous Solution through Amalgamation.
abstract: Brass shavings (CuZn45) were tested for their efficiency to remove Hg(II) from contaminated groundwater through amalgamation. The study was focused on long-term retention efficiency, the understanding of the amalgamation process and kinetics, and influences of filter surface alteration. Column tests were performed with brass filters (thickness 3 to 9 cm) flushed with 1000 μg/L Hg solution for 8 hours under different flow rates (300 to 600 mL/h). Brass filters consistently removed >98% of Hg from solution independent of filter thickness and flow rate. In a long-term experiment (filter thickness 2 cm), Hg retention decreased from 96 to 92% within 2000 hours. Batch and column experiments for studying kinetics of Hg removal indicate ~100% Hg removal from solution within only 2 hours. Solid-phase mercury thermo-desorption analysis revealed that Hg(0) diffusion into the brass surface controls kinetics of mercury retention. Brass surface alteration could be observed, but did not influence Hg retention.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Heidelberg; Im Neuenheimer Feld 234-236, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wenke
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bollen
authors.forename: Jan-Helge
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Biester
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C048399:brass; D003300:Copper; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc