Enhancement of copper and cadmium adsorption on kaolin by the presence of humic acids

The competitive adsorption equilibrium isotherms of Cu2+ and Cd2+ on kaolin have been measured at 298 K, in the presence and the absence of humic acids (HAs). HAs were found to enhance the metal adsorption capacity of mineral surfaces, in particular kaolin. This enhancement was also observed in the competitive adsorption of copper and cadmium on kaolin and kaolin–HA complex. This competitive adsorption shows that the presence of Cd2+ has not an important effect on Cu2+ adsorption, whereas a dramatic decrease is observed on the adsorption of Cd2+ in the presence of Cu2+. The Freundlich isotherm equation was found to provide an excellent fit to the experimental data. These results were compared with the independent adsorption of both heavy metals.