Removal of phosphorus by a composite metal oxide adsorbent derived from manganese ore tailings.

The selective adsorption of phosphate (P) from wastewater is a promising method for controlling eutrophication in water bodies. In this study, an adsorbent of composite metal oxides (CMOMO) was synthesized from manganese ore tailings by the process of digestion-oxidation-coprecipitation. CMOMO was characterized using several methods, and its adsorption behaviors for phosphate were investigated. Based on the results from SEM and BET analysis, CMOMO exhibited a rough surface and a large surface area (307.21 m(2)/g). According to the results of EDAX, XRD and XPS, its main constituents were determined to be amorphous FeOOH, MnO(2) and AlOOH. The kinetic data were best fit using the Elovich model due to its complicate composites. The maximal adsorption capacity of P would increase with elevated temperatures. Additionally, it was found that the P removal efficiency decreased with an increase of pH (4-10) or a decrease of ion strength (1-0.01 M). The coexisting anions had little effects on phosphate removal, implying the specific adsorption of P by CMOMO. Furthermore, the desorption and reuse results indicated that this adsorbent could be regenerated using alkali solutions.