Return on Investment (ROI)
Economic and operational benefits
Operational Cost Reduction
Savings on chemical products (coagulants, flocculants) and lower sludge generation compared to conventional treatments
Removal Efficiency
Ammonium removal of up to 99.7% in batch treatment with natural powdered clinoptilolite in a dilute solution (Zabochnicka-Świątek & Malińska, 2010); 79–81% in concentrated sludge water (Wasielewski et al., 2020)
Metal Capacity
In a static test, clinoptilolite retained up to 27.7 mg/g of Pb, 25.8 of Cu, 13.0 of Ni and 4.2 of Cd; finer fractions retained more (Sprynskyy et al., 2006)
Effluent with Organics
In most cases, the presence of organic contaminants increased ammonium uptake by ion exchange (Jorgensen & Weatherley, 2003)
Applications in Water Treatment
Solutions for different treatment systems
Industrial Effluent Treatment
Removal of ammonia (NH₃/NH₄⁺) from effluents of chemical, petrochemical, textile and food industries. High-purity clinoptilolite (≥ 80%), in powder form, captures ammonium by cation exchange in batch treatment (mixing, contact and separation), with removal of up to ~99% in dilute solutions (Zabochnicka-Świątek & Malińska, 2010). It reduces chemical use and helps meet discharge limits.
Municipal Water Treatment
Complementary step in water treatment plants to remove ammonium and heavy metals by cation exchange, with the powder applied in batch mode and separated by settling.
Heavy Metal Removal
Adsorption of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cr³⁺, Hg²⁺ and Ni²⁺ in contaminated water: clinoptilolite is the most studied natural zeolite for these metals, with capacity varying with the material and conditions (Velarde et al., 2023). Applicable to groundwater remediation, landfill leachate and mining effluents.
Removal of Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺ Ions
Selective adsorption of cesium (Cs⁺) and strontium (Sr²⁺) ions from aqueous solutions by cation exchange. Natural clinoptilolite has a high affinity for these cations: in batch tests, thermally treated natural zeolite removed up to ~99% of Cs⁺ and ~92% of Sr²⁺ (Șenilă et al., 2023). Applicable to batch treatment of effluents containing these ions.
* Reference doses. They may be reviewed by qualified professionals, such as veterinarians, agronomists, animal scientists, chemists and food engineers, among others, since professional titles and qualifications vary between countries; local regulatory bodies may also set their own limits.
Technical Specifications for Water Treatment
| Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) | 150-200 meq/100g |
| Surface Area | 43-47 m²/g (BET) |
| NH₄⁺ Selectivity | High |
| Particle Size | ~#200 (powder) for batch adsorption |
| Mode of Use | Batch adsorption / under agitation |
| Ammonium Removal (100 mg N/L) | 61.1%; lower at higher concentrations (Rožić et al., 2000) |
| Metal Selectivity | Pb > Fe > Cr ≥ Cu (Inglezakis et al., 2003) |