Use of Hydrophilic Insoluble Polymers in the Restoration of Metal-Contaminated Soils

Table 1

Copper and manganese removed from a polyacrylate polymer* with different solutions.

Solution	Ratio of COOH groups	Cu removed (%)	Mn removed (%)
	Solution : Polymer
2 M KCl	—	26	68
Ammonium acetate	1∶1	0.1	0.5
Ammonium acetate	10∶1	4	18
Ammonium EDTA	1∶1	45	52
Ammonium EDTA	17∶1	100	100

*Polymer was expanded in 5 mM CuSO₄ or MnSO₄ for 48 hours, excess water removed by filtration, and the polymer was left to equilibrate with the different solutions for 72 hours. These were filtered and the amount of Cu and Mn was analyzed in the filtrates by atomic absorption spectrometry.