Nickel removal accompanying underground water purification from iron and manganese

Nickel is one of the micro-pollutants found in groundwater around the world, including in Europe. This limits water use to consumption purposes, for which it is primarily abstracted. In batch experiments, the ability to remove nickel in the homogeneous iron oxidation process and onto iron and manganese removal filter beds was tested. The study used underground water from the Quaternary and Tertiary levels, differing in the level and type of hardness. Nickel removal was correlated with homogeneous oxidation of divalent iron to Fe(OH)3 and its separation from water. The adsorption capacity of nickel on Fe(OH)3 in the Quaternary and Tertiary water systems was similar and amounted to 6.31–13.6 mg Ni/g depending on the initial concentration. The capacities of the iron and manganese removal filter beds range from 0.313 to 0.585 mg Ni/g and from 0.173 to 0.274 mg Ni/g, respectively. The manganese ore filtration bed is less effective, and its adsorption capacity ranges from 0.065 to 0.185 mg Ni/g. In the technological process line of underground water treatment, a promising stage for nickel removal is the iron removal zone.