Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2017 number 3

Natural zeolites modified by rare earth element (REE) ions are promising to obtain efficient regenerative stimulants and biologically active drugs. Rare earth elements are used upon treatment of tuberculosis, tumours, skin diseases, and REE of cerium subgroup have anticoagulative action. Europium introduced into the zeolite matrix exerts neuroprotective effects. It is considered reasonable to use potassium channel blockers with the aim of reducing ischemic brain damage. Lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and europium ions in biological systems substitute calcium ions block their entrance into cells exerting inhibitory effects on the development of calcium-induced cascade of pathologic reactions in cerebral ischemia [4]. Sorption technology allows increasing biological activity of natural zeolites that act as a prolonging carrier of REE ions. Equilibrium and sorption kinetics of europium (III) ions from sulphate solutions by natural mordenite-containing tuff were studied. The kinetic parameters of the sorption process were defined; adsorption isotherms of europium ions were constructed. It was determined that both external and internal diffusion were the rate-limiting step; europium was completely extracted from diluted solutions (<0.0025 mol/L).