Field trial of ion-exchange resin columns for removal of metal contaminants, Thala Valley Tip, Casey Station, Antarctica

Abstract

A field trial for removal of dissolved metal contaminants in water from an abandoned waste disposal site, using ion-exchange columns of an iminodiacetic acid chelating ion-exchange (IDA) resin, was conducted at Casey Station, Antarctica. An on-site monitoring technique, employing 3M Empore chelating disks for preconcentration for analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), was also trialled for measurement of dissolved metal concentration in the treated water. The field trial indicated that the ion-exchange columns of Amberlite IRC748 were suitable for the application, with concentrations of contaminant metals in treated waters successfully reduced. The observed order of selectivity fo..