Membrane extraction - technique for monitoring inorganic pollutants

Abstract

Inorganic pollutants represent a major risk to the health of the population and ecosystems because they are not biodegradable. Due to the mobility in the environment, they can get into the food chain and thus can seriously affect the health of the population. The most important source of pollution is anthropogenic nature and is mainly due to industrial activity. Mining and processing activities, metal coatings, tailings deposits, waste discharges have a special impact on surface water which is a vector for the transmission of contaminants at a distance (soil, groundwater). Monitoring them is a first utility activity. In this paper are presented the results obtained at the separation of some metallic cations: Zn2+, Cu2+ frequently found in wastewater or other industrial residues. The presence of high doses of these cations severely affects people’s health. Copper causes anemia and diseases of the liver and kidneys. Zinc intoxication in humans causes gastric irritation and other digestive phenomena with complex metabolic consequences. Zinc also causes respiratory disorders, but also nutritional disorders.