Civil Engineering Research Seminar: Silver Modified Natural Zeolite-Clinoptilolite for Effluent Treatment

When?

Thursday 10 May 2012, 13:00 to 14:00

Where?

40 AA 03

Open to:

Staff, Students

Speaker:

Lulu Akhigbe

Admission price:

No charge

Natural zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicate minerals used in their natural and modified forms in water and wastewater treatment due to their good ion exchange capacities, high selectivity towards inorganic ions and environmental compatibility. Studies on the use of silver modified zeolites for wastewater treatment have focused solely on the disinfection property of the material with the zeolite acting as an inert carrier and releaser of the antibacterial silver ions which kill microorganisms. Hence the aim of this work is to evaluate the potential of silver modified clinoptilolite as a disinfecting adsorbent for effluent treatment by combining the ion exchange properties of the zeolite with the antibacterial activity of the silver ions to produce a one-step treatment process that can deal with both bacterial and inorganic contamination. The results of preliminary screening experiments will be presented. These results form the basis for more detailed systematic investigations to evaluate the performance of the material and optimize the system with respect to several process variables.

Bio: Lulu Akhigbe has a first degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Water and Environmental Engineering. She is doing her PhD at the Centre for Environmental and Health Engineering (CEHE) and is supervised by Dr Sabeha Ouki and Dr Devendra Saroj.