Wastewater dephosphorization using crude clays

The present work aims to establish the possibility of using local clays to treat wastewater. Thus, three clay samples extracted from two localities in the south of Côte d’Ivoire have been studied in their crude state. The qualitative physicochemical study that consisted in measurement of pH variation and argillaceous particles zeta potential showed that the Nieki-Agneby clay and the Beige Anyama clay presented disposal to uptake phosphate ions in solution at pH 5. For each clay, it is shown that the tension accompanying the sorption of a phosphate ion could be estimated to -5 mV. Differences in their composition and in the number of hydrating molecules of water were also accessible. The quantitative study performed with the Nieki-Agneby clay thereafter consisted following the sorption kinetic. The adsorption was found to reach the maximum after 5 h. of exchange, and almost 400 μg phosphate ions in per gram of clay were fixed. Future studies will focus on the modification of these materials in order to increase their sorption capacity.