Hydroxyapatite-Based Materials for Heavy Metal Removal in Wastewater Treatment

Nowadays, undisputable environmental pollution requests endeavors to treat wastewater, particularly containing heavy metal, where wastewater treatment technologies are improving hastily. Hydroxyapatite with micro-porous structure and the large surface area turns into an intense research topic as of its high adsorption capacity. Environmentally friendly Hydroxyapatite powder with the large specific surface is a promising cost-effective precipitation method, for the removal of heavy metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from wastewater. Different studies have revealed the efficient removal of all metals using hydroxyapatite or by modified HA using zeolite or chitosan. The increase of Ca2+ ions content in the treated water suggests an ion exchange mechanism.