ABSTRACT
This chapter includes factors affecting the adsorption of essential elements such as iron, minor toxic metals such as cesium and elements such as scandium, titanium, gallium and germanium whose toxicity is still unknown. The increase of iron content in the body leads to cardiovascular disease and exposure to nonradioactive cesium causes irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. The toxicity of scandium, titanium, gallium and germanium is still not fully understood. The adsorption capacity of the ferric ions increased with natural bentonite and quartz and sulfonated cellulose and decreased with egg shells on increasing the temperature. The presence of iron ions in the solution leads to a change in the structure of the smectites and ferrihydrite. The adsorption of the ferrous ions on smectites leads to a change in its lattice arrangement The higher value of distribution coefficient suggests better adsorption performance and values above 5000 and 50,000 suggest excellent and good adsorption capacity, respectively.
