Studies of application of monodisperse anion exchangers in sorption of heavy metal complexes with IDS Original Research Article

Economical progress and increase in population result in an increase of sewage and wastewaters containing heavy metal ions. The ion exchange method is applied for removal of toxic metal ions and organic pollutants from drinking, underground and surface waters and also from industrial wasterwaters produced from different technological processes. Various types of ion exchangers were used to solve the above-mentioned problems. Among them monodisperse anion exchangers are of significant importance. Based on the research, the applicability of strongly basic monodisperse gel and macroporous polystyrene anion exchangers like Lewatit MonoPlus M 500, Lewatit MonoPlus M 600 and Lewatit MonoPlus MP 500 in heavy metal ions—Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Fe(III)—sorption from aqueous solutions containing iminodisuccinic acid (IDS) was stated. This acid is a complexing agent of a new generation as it undergoes biodegradation, thus being an alternative for EDTA or NTA reagents. Particularly effective results of sorption of the above-mentioned complexes were obtained employing the Lewatit MonoPlus M 500 monodiserse gel anion exchanger in the chloride form. For this anion exchanger the affinity series of the heavy metal ion complexes in the 0.001 M M(II) or M(III)–0.001 M IDS system was found to be as follows: Cu(II) > Fe(III) > Ni(II) > Co(II).