Adsorption of Specific Organics in Water on GAC and Regeneration of GAC by Countercurrent Oxidative Reaction

Abstract

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is highly effective in removing organic compounds which are resistant to biological disintegration in wastewater treatment. However, when GAC has reached its full adsorptive capacity, GAC needs to be regenerated before it can be used for a further adsorption cycle. Countercurrent oxidative reaction (COR) technique has been developed and evaluated for the regeneration of spent GAC. Various parameters such as flame temperature, the loss of carbon, destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of organic compounds, surface area, surface structure, adsorptive capacity, etc. were examined to determine the performance of COR. The results of these tests showed that adsorptive capacity of regenerated GAC was completely recovered, the loss of carbon was controllable, flame temperature was high enough to insure complete destruction and removal (≥ 99.9999%) of specific organics of interest, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), that are thermally stable, and no formation of toxic byproducts such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) or polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were detected during the regeneration process. The COR technique is environmentally benign, easy to use and less capital intensive than other available regeneration technologies.