Abstract
Analysis of currently existing methods of natural and waste water treatment from heavy metals has shown that one of the most promising is the sorption method using natural inorganic materials as sorbents: zeolite, diatomite, and vermiculite. The relevance of the topic is dictated by the need to develop an original technology of wastewater treatment and water treatment, which allows constant monitoring of the level of pollution of natural waters by industrial wastewater from metallurgical enterprises. The proposed methods of sorbent modification create a basis for studying the structure, porosity, and sorption capabilities of the mentioned natural materials. All three minerals: zeolite, diatomite, and vermiculite belong to highly porous, structured materials, promising for use as stable sorption systems in water treatment and water purification. The influence of physical and chemical characteristics of natural sorbents and the application of new promising environmentally safe materials and reagents for water treatment are considered. The sorption of copper ions on natural zeolite material before and after its modification by hydrothermal method was investigated. The activity of sorbents was estimated by the value of sorption capacity, i.e. the amount of heavy metal ions absorbed by a unit mass of sorbent based on zeolite and its modified form.