Adsorption kinetics for the removal of soluble manganese by oxide- coated filter media

This study was conducted to examine the kinetics of manganese sorption on oxide-coated filter media. Initial experimentation confirmed the findings of other investigators, the Mn²⁺ sorption capacity of oxide-coated media increases as solution pH increases. Further study revealed that uptake rate kinetics could be described by first order kinetics and also increased with increasing solution pH. The addition of free chlorine (HOCl) to solution greatly enhanced Mn²⁺ uptake rate kinetics. Later studies indicated that the oxide coating had very little impact on the physical properties of the media tested.

Actual data from a water treatment plant filter confirmed laboratory experimental results by showing that sorption of soluble manganese does indeed occur on oxide-coated filters. The water treatment plant data also suggested that the sorption kinetics were relatively rapid, again upholding laboratory findings.

Results from the manganese kinetics and sorption experiments were combined to formulate a theoretical model which would predict manganese breakthrough in a filter, given a known set of loading parameters. Preliminary use of the model indicated that oxide-coated filters could sorb significant quantities of soluble manganese before detectible levels of manganese appear in the effluent.