David Kimball
2/16/10
RISE Workshop
URCAS Abstract
David Kimball
Utilization of methods for clay pellet production designed to purify water
Major: Biochemistry
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lara
Water pollution is a major, global concern, and many methods are being utilized to help
remedy the problem. Most are high-tech methods that only large municipalities can not afford
or manage. The method that we are designing is simple and inexpensive; it utilizes clay to sorb
harmful substances, mainly uranium and heavy metals, from drinking water. For the purpose of
an appropriate solution, we will mimic conditions in rural areas because they do not have
access to sophisticated instruments and technology in the field.
What is needed is a robust sorbent with optimal surface area. Therefore, we want to
test the strength and porosity of our sorbents by controlling the variables in how the sorbents
are designed, this includes material component ratios and the material treatment
temperatures. Ultimately, we hope to find a standard procedure that can be utilized by
individuals to make effective sorbents efficiently.
More specifically, the Navajo Nation has a hazardous problem with uranium leaching
into their drinking water. The methods we use to make sorbents can be utilized by the Navajo
Nation to help rid their drinking water of harmful chemicals, including uranium. We
hypothesize that we can fabricate clay sorbents that will sorb the uranium on their surfaces and
in their pores, the sorption mechanism being a high cation exchange capacity. The sorption
translates to purified water. After sorption, the disposal of these contaminated sorbents is also
of concern, and the solution to this problem should be both logical and practical. The disposal
issue, disposal without leaching, will also be addressed further with acid/base leaching studies;
preliminary data suggests that uranium will not leach; thus further contamination is avoided.