Journal of the Korean Geo-Environmental Society ISSN:1598-0820(Print) 2714-1233(Online) 한국지반환경공학회 논문집

This study was performed to investigate the removal characteristics of heavy metals in Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) using pellet-type Zeolite-StarFish ceramics (ZSF ceramics), in which natural zeolite and starfish were mixed and calcined with wood flour. Kinetic experiment showed the removal reaction of heavy metals by ZSF ceramics reached the equilibrium status within 3 hours. The optimal calcination temperature range for removal of heavy metals was measured to be 800∼1,000 ℃. The calcination time had little effect on the removal of heavy metal in AMD. The adequate dose of ceramics was shown to be 1.0∼1.2 % for removal of heavy metals in AMD. High removal efficiencies of heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) in AMD, more than 95 % except for Pb, were obtained under the condition of dose of ceramics more than 1.0 %. The removal efficiencies of heavy metals increased with increasing mixing concentration of wood flour. The adequate mixing concentration of wood flour was observed to be 10 %. The batch experimental results exhibited that the ZSF ceramics could act as an efficient ceramics for removal of heavy metals in AMD and the wood flour could provide porous ZSF ceramics with enhanced removal efficiency of heavy metals.