Development of Modified Sorbents Based on Diatomite in Western Kazakhstan for Groundwater Desalination

The increasing anthropogenic pressure on the environment results in groundwater pollution, adversely affect ing the health of humans, animals, and the plant ecosystem. For farming enterprises in West Kazakhstan located in low-water areas of the arid steppe and semi-desert zones, a significant challenge is the availability of clean water for animal watering due to pollution and elevated levels of mineralization. The study is dedicated to investigating the adsorption capacity of diatomite from West Kazakhstan and assessing its potential application as a sorbent for purifying groundwater from saline compounds. Groundwater purification was performed in the settlement of Zhanakala, Zhangalinsky district in West Kazakhstan Region. It has been demonstrated that the degree of mineralization of the investigated water using diatomite can be increased by calcining the diatomite at T = 450 ℃, incorporating activated carbon, and introducing rocks containing clay minerals, particularly bentonite.