Influence of Different Conditions on the Sorption of Potentially Toxic Elements by Selected Sorbents: A Review

Abstract

Information about how different conditions affect the course of sorption is variously scattered and needs to be consolidated. The paper primarily focuses on identifying the optimal sorption conditions for acid and neutral mine drainages. In this review, key parameters were assessed, including temperature, pH level, sorbent dose, initial metal concentrations, and sorption duration. This overview also includes a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of selected types of sorbents. The sorption of many metals tends to be optimal at circumneutral pH values. The adsorptive capacity decreases with an increase in temperature for exothermic processes, whereas it increases in the case of an endothermic one. Increasing the initial concentration has a positive effect on adsorption until the sorbent is fully saturated, leading to a plateau in adsorption capacity. The knowledge gained from this research extends the spectrum of the potential sorption applications, especially in the processes of recovering the metals and sorbents by desorption.