Iranian Journal of

Backgrounds and Objectives: Due to copper and zinc elements toxicity, a greatly attention to removal of those in order to reduce environmental pollution exist. This experiment was conducted to investigate the study of the effect of gravity single layer rapid sand filter on heavy metals (zinc and copper) removal efficiency in aquatic condition in different phosphate concentration.
Materials and Methods: this study applied a gravity single layer rapid sand filter with silica sand media. Experiments conducted for all of the states of Cooper and Zinc concentration in 25, 75, 125 and 175 ppm at different phosphate concentration present by varied discharge. Each state of Solutions pumped on top of the bed and discharge adjusted. Samples taken fromeffluent then acidified immediately with nitric acid. Metals concentration perused by atomic emission spectrometer with ICP source. Collected data analyzed by SPSS software.
Results: Founds from this study shown that maximum removal efficiency for copper and zinc was 98.89%and 78.60%respectively effect of discharge,metal concentration and phosphate concentration factors in removal efficiency of zinc and cooper, discharge and phosphate concentration bilateral effect on cooper removal efficiency, phosphate concentration andmetal concentration bilateral on zinc removal efficiency, are significant in 1%. In addition, phosphate concentration and discharge bilateral effect, metal concentration and discharge bilateral effect are significant on zinc removal efficiency in 5%. Finally, bilateral effects of discharge and metal concentration also metal concentration and phosphate concentration have not significant effect on cooper removal efficiency.
Conclusion: Gravity single layer of rapid sandy filter with silica sand media in order to cooper removal in low concentration can be used successfully. This method in high concentration of cooper and also different concentration of zinc had not successful result but in this condition, may be use

of a series of filter with more depth