Recycling of phosphate tailings for an efficient hydroxyapatite-based adsorbent to immobilize heavy metal cations.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is a promising adsorbent for immobilizing heavy metals in soil and water. However, the preparation and modification of HAP from pure chemicals increases its cost and limits its large-scale practical application. In this study, a hydroxyapatite-based adsorbent (HAP) was prepared from phosphate tailing produced in the phosphorus industry to sequester Pb, Cd and Zn from solution.