In situ lead stabilization using natural and synthetic apatite

In this work, mineral apatite was investigated for the remediation of lead contamination. Two different apatite minerals were used: synthetic apatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (hereafter denoted as HAP) and natural apatite from Lisina, near Bosilegrad, Serbia (hereafter denoted as LA). Phosphate ore from Lisina deposit consists of 43.3 % apatite in the form of fluorapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(F)2. Sorption properties of HAP and LA were investigated. The results show that both of these minerals are effective in lead removal from the water solution. Sorption capacity of HAP obtained in this experiment is 0.216 mmol Pb/g HAP, while the value for LA is 0.162 mmol Pb/g LA. Modeling of these systems was conducted using Visual Minteq computer program. The values obtained from the computer simulation were compared to experimental values.