USING QUAGGA MUSSEL SHELLS TO REMOVE HEAVY METAL IONS FROM CONTAMINATED WATER

An invasive species to the Great Lakes, Quagga mussels outcompete native species because of their tolerance levels and feeding preferences. Alive, the mollusks undergo bioaccumulation, deceased, the calcium carbonate rich shells may be utilized as a proper biowaste with heavy metal sorption capacities. Quagga mussel shells were crushed into ranged grain sizes between 125 to 250 micrometers, and, under the subjection of heavy metal contaminated water solutions, the maximum Pb ion sorption capacity and uptake rate were evaluated to be 39.4 mg/g and 6.1 mg/min (from 2 - 4 minutes in one test trial) from a 207.11 Pb mg/L water solution. Mineralogical and chemical characteristics of the transformed shell grains were investigated to study metal ion sorption and interaction mechanisms under the instrumentation of AAS, SEM, XRD, FT-IR and pXRF. This study affirms the capabilities of natural sustainable heavy metal removal from water by using mollusk shell powder as a biosorbent, enabling a future possibility of less intensive water quality control and sanitation.