| Abstract: | Sediments were equilibrated with solutions containing divalent copper ion. A colorimetric method using the triethylenete-tramine complex of the metal ion was employed to measure changes in uptake of copper by the sediments. Studies were made with sediments from rivers in the British Isles which were in the proximity of areas which had been mined for metals for several hundred years. For comparison, similar studies were performed with a sample of sand and a soil with a high organic content. It was possible to follow the uptake of copper ion by the materials and estimate their abilities to adsorb copper ion. In particular, a strong correlation was observed between the organic content of the sediment and the total amount of copper adsorbed by the sample. Under the employed circumstances it was possible to demonstrate that the adsorption of the metal ion was reversible. |
