Zeolites and clays as adsorbents for surfactants: innovative technologies for environmental safety

This paper investigates natural sorbents, clinoptilolite and glauconite, for the removal of surfactants from wastewater. Surfactants are widely used in various industries, and their excessive presence in wastewater can lead to significant water pollution. Therefore, research into effective and cost-efficient sorbents is of increasing importance. Clinoptilolite and glauconite are non-metallic minerals that can adsorb surfactants from aqueous solutions, thus contributing to environmental sustainability. The influence of thermal and microwave treatment, as well as modification with metal-containing solutions, on the sorption properties of the materials was studied. Experimental results show that zeolites and clays are effective in removing surfactants from aqueous media; moreover, their adsorption capacity can be significantly enhanced through modification. The findings indicate that both types of sorbents are effective in removing dodecyl sulfonate from wastewater. In particular, Fe- and microwave-modified glauconite exhibited higher adsorption capacity compared to natural glauconite, while metal-modified clinoptilolite samples outperformed the unmodified ones.