Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention discloses a water quality improvement composition containing eco-friendly active natural minerals and a method of manufacturing the same.

The water quality improvement composition of the present invention comprises clinoptilolite and high CEC clay minerals having a large CEC as main ingredients, thereby generating high negative charges on its surface. As a result, the inventive water quality improvement composition becomes a water quality improvement composition containing eco-friendly active natural minerals, capable of substituting a large amount of cations.

In more detail, the water quality improvement composition containing eco-friendly active natural minerals according to the present invention is composed of 60 to 80 wt% (% by weight) clinoptilolite, 7 to 15 wt% rock-forming mineral, 5 to 10 wt% high CEC clay mineral, 5 to 10 wt% volcanic ash, and 2 to 6 wt% dolomite.

Turbid water phenomenon frequently occurring in a reservoir, a river, a natural lake, etc. mainly occurs due to colloidal pollutant particles and the organic materials or the nutrient salt in the pollutant particle leads to eutrophication to cause the green tide and fresh-water red tide phenomenon. The pollutant particle has electrically anionic properties. On the other hand, the water quality improvement composition containing eco-friendly active natural minerals according to the present invention comprises clinoptilolite and a high CEC clay mineral, thus possibly substituting a large amount of cations. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, in the water quality improvement composition particle in which cations are substituted, the cations are distributed on the surface of pollutant particles having negative charges, and therefore, the water quality improvement composition particles have a reactive structure in that the pollutant particles are agglomerated to enclose the water quality improvement composition particles therein.

The clinoptilolite used in the present invention as a natural zeolite whose reserves are abundant within a country such as Korea, has a zeolite content of not less than 70 % and a cation substitution capacity of not less than 200 meq/100g owing to development of crystals and pores. As for the clinoptilolite, Si ⁴⁺ is partially substituted into Al ³⁺ in a (Si, Al)O ₄ tetrahedron so that a balance between negative (-) and positive (+) charges is lost. As a result, the clinoptilolite exhibits a negatively charged state due to its structure. The surface is substituted from the negatively charged state to a positively charged state by being substituted with a cation. The cations on the surface can easily be substituted with other adjacent cations.

The rock-forming minerals used in the present invention are minerals, such as quartz, muscovite, feldspar, etc., having large specific gravity and are harmless to an aquatic ecosystem. The rock-forming minerals increase a specific gravity of an agglomerate to derive precipitation. In particular, muscovite has antibacterial activity to prevent waterweeds from luxuriating again in the precipitate deposit. Quartz, muscovite, and feldspar may be used alone or by a combination of at least two thereof. It is preferable to use quartz, muscovite, and feldspar together. A relative weight ratio of these materials is preferably 5 to 8 : 3 to 7 : 1 to 5 in order to effectively control formation of agglomerates and the precipitation speed.

The high CEC clay minerals of the present invention are minerals having excellent CEC among clay minerals. Preferably, the high CEC clay mineral is one or more selected from a group consisting of vermiculite, montmorillonite, and illite. These clay minerals also exhibit antibacterial effects to prevent waterweeds from luxuriating again in the precipitate deposit.

The volcanic ash used in the present invention is a material having neutrality and andesitic properties, many pores, and a high content of aluminum and silicon, for example, a high aluminum volcanic ash from Kyushu area in Japan can be used in the present invention.

The dolomite used in the present invention is a carbonate mineral and functions to stably maintain pH of treated water.

The water quality improvement composition containing eco-friendly active natural minerals, which comprises the foregoing components, is processed in a powder type. In detail, each component is crushed into powders having a grain size of 300 mesh or less enough to penetrate through a 300 mesh sieve, the crushed powders are mixed at the foregoing mixing ratio to form a mixed powder, and the mixed powders are then crushed again for 10 minutes while being heated at 150 ℃ using an apparatus such as a Raymond Mill to which a heating apparatus is attached, so that the water quality improvement composition containing eco-friendly active natural minerals is manufactured.

The water quality improvement composition processed in a powder type is directly sprayed over water to be treated or is diluted and then sprayed over a water area to be treated in order to agglomerate, precipitate, and decompose floating pollutants, thereby improving water quality. On the other hand, since the water quality improvement composition has natural minerals used for improving water quality, etc. as main ingredients, the habitat environment of aquatic organisms may be effectively protected without destruction.

As described above, the water quality improvement composition of the present invention can improve water polluted with green tide, red tide, and/or various pollutants in a reservoir, a river, a natural lake, groundwater, etc. and can be applied to improve marine pollution of a coastal seawater nursery, for example, a laver nursery, etc.

Preferred examples of the present invention will be described in more detail as follows. However, the following examples are proposed for illustrative purposes and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and/or substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention which is defined in the accompanying claims and their equivalents.

EXAMPLE

Examples 1 to 7

A water quality improvement composition is manufactured by mixing clinoptilolite, a rock-forming mineral, a high CEC clay mineral, volcanic ash, and dolomite at composition represented in the following Table 1.

Respective components are crushed into powders having a grain size of 300 mesh or less and then are mixed together and agitated at constitutional compositions represented by the following Table 1 to form a mixed powder. Thereafter, the mixed powder is placed in the Raymond Mill equipped with a heating device to crush the mixed powder again for 10 minutes while heating at 150 ℃, thereby manufacturing the water quality improvement composition of the present invention.

[Table 1]

EXPERIMENTAL EXAMPLE

The water quality improvement composition manufactured through the foregoing Example 1 is sprayed over an artificial pond to improve turbidity.

Experimental Example 1- Turbid water purification treatment of artificial pond

The area to be experimented is a pond within Songra Zenith Country Club of Songra-Myeon, Pohang-City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. The bed rock of this area is a Yeonil layer composed of mudstone and thus contains a large amount of granular clay minerals leading to turbid water. The turbidity of this area is large to the degree of 186 NTU. Pondage of the artificial pond to be tested is about 5,000 ㎥. A total of 250 kg of the water quality improvement composition was uniformly sprayed over a water surface of the pond and, after 48 hours, the turbidity of the pond was improved to 1.2 NTU. It can be seen that the turbidity is improved from photographs of the same point before (FIG. 2a, 2c) and after being treated with the water quality improvement composition (FIG. 2b, 2d).

Experimental Example 2- Purification treatment of artificial turbid water and toxic test on Japanese Oryzias latipes

In order to test performance of the water quality improvement composition to treat turbid water and the toxicity of aquatic organisms, 10 Japanese Oryzias latipes were put in each of water tanks which contain dechlorinated tap water as origin water, water quality improvement composition, and pollutants, respectively, or a mixture thereof, followed by observation. In order to artificially form a turbid water, the pollutant (for example, white clay) in test group No. 3 was fed until turbidity of the turbid water became 1020 NTU.

Compositions of the test liquid in each of the water tanks used in the experiment are shown in Table 2 and data of Japanese Oryzias latipes put in the water tank are shown in Table 3. The water tank used in the experiment is a glass water tank with 12 ℓ capacity both in the control group and the test group. The experiment was performed for 96 hours under indoor natural light and food was never supplied during the experiment.

[Table 2]

[Table 3]

As the experimental results, the death of Japanese Oryzias latipes was not observed in the control group, test group 1, test group 2, and test group 3. It can be confirmed from FIGS. 3a and 3b that turbidity was significantly improved in test group 3 notwithstanding the continuous execution of aeration. The turbidity of test group 3 in which a test fish was not found due to the turbid water at the initial stage of the experiment, showed an improved level enough to find deposits on a bottom of the water tank at the time of ending the experiment. As described above, the water quality improvement composition of the present invention can improve water contaminated with pollutants, etc. without toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

Experimental Example 3- Water purification of Ikisa dam in Japan

The object to be tested is a concrete gravity dam positioned at an upper stream of Ikisakawa of Mathuragawa water area in Japan. In this area, an abnormal propagation of phytoplankton such as diatom has occurred for a long time due to corrosion materials eluted from deposits within the dam reservoir or a colored phenomenon of water called 'Sasanigori' which are caused by a composite of corrosion materials and iron and a large amount of corrosion material. The effective pondage of the dam to be experimented is about 1,660,000 ㎥ and a total of 66 tons of the water quality improvement composition were uniformly sprayed over the water surface for about 3.5 days to become 40 mg per liter of the pondage.

Comparison results of external state of water between before treating with the water quality improvement composition and 1 month after spraying the water quality improvement composition are represented in the following Table 4.

[Table 4]

Further, an average analysis value of water quality of the water a month before spraying the water quality improvement composition, as well as analysis values of water quality of the water a month and thirteen months after spraying the water quality improvement composition are determined. Comparison results thereof are represented in the following Table 5.

[Table 5]

As represented in the above Tables 4 and 5, the water surface and external color of the water were changed by spraying the water quality improvement composition so as to improve transparency. In particular, as for chromaticity and turbidity, reduction rates thereof reached to 55 to 70 % upon analyzing, thereby exhibiting excellent effects of the water quality improvement composition. At the same time, various organic materials in the pollutants were decomposed so that the abnormal propagation phenomenon of phytoplankton and the eutrophication, which is a cause of green tide, fresh-water red tide, etc., can be prevented. In addition, CCD, SS, T-N, T-P, etc., which are indicators of water quality, can be improved. Furthermore, as a result of investigating aquatic organisms in the dam reservoir and the downstream river, the death or abnormal behavior of fish or crustaceans was not found.

FIGS. 4 and 5a to 5d each shows photographs of the same points (a) before being treated, (b) just after being treated, (c) a month after being treated, and (d) thirteen months after being treated by spraying the water quality improvement composition over Ikisa dam and Mikaeri fall, which is an outflow portion of Ikisa dam. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5a to 5d, the transparency before being treated was about 2 to 3m in depth, water was lemon yellow, and the surface of the dam was light brown. However, just after being treated with the water quality improvement composition, the water became a color like cobalt blue and the color was slowly changed to become lighter with the passage of time. After a month, the transparency was about 8m in depth and the water became a clear and transparent state. In the case of the Ikisa dam, after thirteen months (FIG. 4d), the water was light green as compared to the color of the water after a month (FIG. 4c) and the transparency was about 4.3m in depth, higher than before being treated, while the colored phenomenon did not occur. Even in the Mikaeri fall, after thirteen months (FIG. 5d), the water was light green as compared with that of after a month (FIG. 5c), however, the colored phenomenon did not occur and the transparency reached to a level at which rocks on the bottom can be identified. It is determined that the phenomenon occurs by continuous inflow and outflow of water, an amount of rainfall, and the continuous elution of deposits existing in the dam for a long term. Considering the natural parameters, the water quality improvement composition containing eco-friendly active natural minerals according to the present invention is expected to have considerable effects for a long time.