Sorption of copper by suspended particulate matter

The sorption of copper by suspended particulate matter from river water was investigated as a function of pH and solids concentration. Water was collected from the Delaware River and particulate matter was concentrated using Tangential-Flow Filtration (TFF). The adsorption of copper increased with increasing pH until pH 9.0. A decrease in copper adsorption was found for higher pH values. The adsorption of copper was greater for the samples with added copper than for the suspension for which no metal was added. An increase of copper adsorption proportional to particulate matter concentration was also observed. At both pH 6.0 and 7.0, there was a decrease in the adsorption of copper with increasing copper concentration.