Optimizing NaCl-modified zeolite for efficient ammonia nitrogen removal in rural drinking water treatment

Ammonia-nitrogen (NH ₄ ⁺ –N) is one of the most common pollutants in drinking water in rural areas where low-cost, sustainable processes are preferred in the removal process. Consequently, it is crucial that development of both the control and removal processes for the NH ₄ ⁺ –N in water through cost-effective efficient methods to the utilization of the domestic/drinking water. In this study, the J20 was selected as the adsorbent to remove NH ₄ ⁺ –N from rural wastewater, and optiomized the modification conditions to increase the adsroption capacity. It was found that the NaCl soaking method significantly improved the adsorption capacity of zeolites, and the modification condition was optimized by the response surface methodology using 6.25% concentration of NaCl with an incubation time of about 10.37 h. Under this condition, a maximum adsorption capacity for NH ₄ ⁺ –N by means of modified J20 zeolite, reached about 31.6 mg/g, which is 23.41 times that of the unmodified state. Through the detection of drinking water-related indicators, the modified zeolite material did not cause secondary pollution. This study provides a technical support for the low-cost and efficient removal of NH ₄ ⁺ –N in rural drinking water.