Copper compounds have been widely used in industrial processes and agriculture. As a result, elevated Cu concentrations can be found in certain areas of the biosphere. To better understand the toxicity of Cu to organisms it is necessary to understand the mechanism by which Cu influences biological and chemical processes in the environment. This review will examine Cu toxicity, microbial resistance mechanisms and factors influencing Cu speciation and toxicity in the environment

Copper toxicity and chemistry in the environment: a review

The affinity of metal ions for clay surfaces

Chemical, surface and catalytic properties of nonstoichiometrically exchanged zeolites

(1977). Copper in the marine environment — Part I. C R C Critical Reviews in Environmental Control: Vol. 8, No. 1-4, pp. 101-152.

Copper in the marine environment∗ ‐ Part II

Bentonite is known to adsorb toxic metal ions from aqueous solutions. In this study bentonite was immobilized in a polymer matrix of polysulfone in the form of spherical beads to remove cadmium and copper ions. For this purpose a bead-producing unit was fabricated. The procedure for making beads is described. The beads exhibited a porous surface and surface area of up to 20 m2/g. 99.4% of beads were retained on a sieve size of 1.18 mm and were finer than 2.36 mm. Batch adsorption data was adequately described by the Freundlich isotherm model. The beads were able to remove more than 99% of copper and cadmium ions in the column mode. These beads can find application as filter media in the removal of toxic heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions.

Use of Immobilized Bentonite in Removal of Heavy Metals from Wastewater

The adsorption of trace quantities of Cu (3·89 × 10−6 to 3·00 × 10−4 M) by a bentonite clay from calcium acetate solution was studied over the range of pH 4·27–5·87. The data were fitted to an existing adsorption equation and the ‘best’ values of the adsorption parameters were calculated. The proton, cupric ion and mono (hydroxy) cupric complex were found to be the adsorbed species. The adsorption sites are of two types. It has been postulated that the majority of sites are lattice hydroxyl groups located at crystal defects and edges. The remainder arise from organic matter adsorbed by the clay and are the more important in the adsorption of Cu at very low metal concentration and at pH <5·4. The implication of the results on the potential use of bentonite clay to remove trace amounts of Cu from mine waste waters is considered briefly.

H. F. Steger

Papers

On the mechanism of the adsorption of trace copper by bentonite