Utilização de adsorvente natural proveniente da cortiça para tratamento de águas.

Abstract

The problem of water is a factor that affects the majority of Brazilian society, especially in the northeast region, when periods of drought intensify causing water to become difficult to reach the population. In this context, the use of groundwater and water supply is the most accessible way for the population to meet basic consumption needs. However, indiscriminate use ignores the possibility of chemical contamination of water and can therefore cause harm to human health, so the use of natural adsorbents is a viable and inexpensive resource for the treatment of water samples. In this perspective, recent studies indicate that the use of cork and its derivatives have properties that act as natural adsorbent for water treatment. This work aimed to demonstrate the efficiency of the natural adsorbent coming from Cork as a viable and low cost for the treatment of total water hardness removal. For this, it was necessary to perform determinations of pH, turbidity and electrical conductivity. As well, determine the content of chlorides, alkalinity, total hardness, acidity and the concentrations of Sodium and Potassium in the flame photometer. Next, the chemical composition of the cork in natura and after the treatment with different particle sizes were analyzed in the X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer by Dispersive Energy-EDX. The cork morphology was also analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-FEG). After the study, it was possible to verify the cork efficiency as a natural adsorbent for the treatment of water samples. With this adsorbent it was possible to verify the reduction of total hardness and small variations in pH measurements of the samples, in compliance with ordinance No. 2,914 / 2011 of the Ministry of Health. There was a decrease in alkalinity and electrical conductivity. The natural adsorbent (cork) is promising because it is an economically viable material and does not pollute the environment after its use.