Simplified Modeling of Organic Contaminant Adsorption by Activated Carbon and Biochar in the Presence of Dissolved Organic Matter and Other Competing Adsorbates

Cyclohexanol, phenol, benzoic acid, and phenanthrene fractional removal (italicized words are defined within the main text) by pulverized granular activated carbon and biochar adsorption in deionized water and stormwater was independent of target-adsorbate initial concentrations (C 0) when C 0s were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2017-09, Vol.51 (17), p.10031-10040
Main Authors: Shimabuku, Kyle K., Paige, Julian M., Luna-Aguero, Marisol, Summers, R. Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activated carbon
Adsorbates
Adsorption
Aromatic compounds
Benzoic acid
Charcoal
Competition
Competitive materials
Contaminants
Contamination
Correlation
Cyclohexanol
Deionization
Dissolved organic matter
Modelling
Organic contaminants
Phenanthrene
Phenols
Storm sewers
Stormwater
Thresholds
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water treatment
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Summary:Cyclohexanol, phenol, benzoic acid, and phenanthrene fractional removal (italicized words are defined within the main text) by pulverized granular activated carbon and biochar adsorption in deionized water and stormwater was independent of target-adsorbate initial concentrations (C 0) when C 0s were below concentration thresholds. This permits a simple-modeling approach. C 0 -independent removal in deionized water at low-target-adsorbate concentrations potentially suggests that DOM in the deionized water induce a competitive effect that causes deviations from the Freundlich model. The Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory-Equivalent Background Compound model was used to determine the magnitude of concentration thresholds and the competitive effect of stormwater DOM and possibly deionized water DOM. These competing substances’ competitive effects were influenced by target-compound adsorbability and structure. Concentration thresholds positively correlate with competing substances’ competitive effect and negatively correlate with target-adsorbate-Freundlich 1/n values. In deionized water, concentration thresholds increase as target-compound adsorbability decreases. In stormwater, concentration thresholds do not correlate with adsorbability, potentially because stormwater DOM is better suited to compete for aromatic-compound-adsorption sites. The extent known-competitor adsorbates decrease target-adsorbate removal in the presence of DOM is investigated, which depends on the competing adsorbates’ relative adsorbabilities and if they adsorb to a different subpopulation of adsorption sites.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.7b00758