Lead Removal from Wastewater Using Cu(II) Polymethacrylate Formed by Gamma Radiation

In this work Cu(II) polymethacrylate (Cu(II)PMA) is obtained through gamma irradiation of the corresponding monomer. The polymer was mixed with Pb(II) aqueous solutions to remove this pollutant from the liquid phase. The Pb(II) removal occurs via a Langmuir-type adsorption mechanism, that was found to be a function of the contact time between the polymer and the solution. A 60% decrease of Pb(II) concentration in the liquid phase was achieved. The polymer was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersion analysis (EDX), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR),X-ray diffraction and FT-IR. The use of Cu(II)PMA for the treatment of wastewater containing heavy metals is an innovative method that constitutes a simple, effective and economical means for wastewater treatment.