Apr 19, 2006
A Cadmium Conundrum
How do you clean up waste water contaminated with the deadly metal cadmium and what do you do with the resulting material? French scientists reckon they have found the answer.
The mineral hydroxyapatite, like its natural counterpart found in tooth and bone, has an affinity for the toxic heavy metal cadmium, they say. Now, they have used X-ray diffraction spectroscopic analysis, and electron microscopy to follow the kinetics of uptake and release of this metal from hydroxyapatite and have demonstrated that a solid apatite solution of cadmium is formed. Their findings could have implications for the dual use of this material as a decontaminant and a storage medium for cadmium.
