Abstract
Volcanic tuffs out cropping in Măcicaş area (Cluj County) have been investigated and tested for their ammonium removal capacity. The zeolitic volcanic tuffs from Măcicaş are mainly represented by vitric and vitric crystal tuffs. In this region, significant amounts of volcanic glass in the pyroclastic sequence have been replaced by zeolites (between 50-80 %). The main zeolite species identified in volcanic tuffs from Măcicaş is clinoptilolite and subordinately mordenite. The zeolitic tuff samples considered in zeolitic sodium form (labeled M1-Na and M2-Na) are tested in ammonium removal experiments. The ammonium ions were completely removed from 0.0716g/dm3 NH4+ solution onto 10g of zeolitic material in static regime. In dynamic regime, the ammonium ions were completely removed after 250 ml and 500 ml solution passed on M1-Na and M2-Na sample respectively. Also the zeolite exhaustion takes place after more than 1500 ml solution is processed in both cases. The ionic exchange properties suggest that the zeolitic tuff of the Măcicaş region can be used as a final stage (following the biological process) in wastewater treatment plants in order to assure compliance with environmental standards.
Recommended Citation
Bedelean, Horea; Stanca, Maria; Măicăneanu, Andrada; and Burcă, Silvia
(2006)
Zeolitic volcanic tuffs from Macicas (Cluj County), natural raw materials used for NH4+ removal from wastewaters,
Studia UBB Geologia
51
(1): 43-49
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1937-8602.51.1.6
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geologia/vol51/iss1/art6
