Removal of Zinc from Wastewater

 

Zinc is most often found in plating, galvanizing and roller coating operations.  In plating shops, the zinc is often complexed with cyanide and the cyanide must be treated to free the zinc before precipitation can occur.  Like copper, zinc can be precipitated as the hydroxide, carbonate, phosphate or sulfide.  Unlike copper, it cannot be reduced to the metal at low enough concentrations to meet most treated water requirements. Finally, it can be removed by ion exchange in methods similar to copper.

 

The equipment used for treating zinc is the same as used for treating copper with the exception that zinc cannot be removed by reduction to the metal.