Catalytic Sorption of (Chloro)Benzene and Naphthalene in Aqueous Solutions by Granular Activated Carbon Supported Bimetallic Iron and Palladium Nanoparticles

Jurate Virkutyte,Danny Reible,Sandip Chattopadhyay,Patrick Dunlap,Edwin F Barth,Souhail R Al-Abed

doi:10.1155/2013/525697

Abstract

Adsorption of benzene, chlorobenzene, and naphthalene on commercially available granular activated carbon (GAC) and bimetallic nanoparticle (Fe/Pd) loaded GAC was investigated for the potential use in active capping of contaminated sediments. Freundlich and Langmuir linearizations were both applied to this data, and it was found that the Freundlich model most closely fits the experimental data. Based on Freundlich parameters, the effective partitioning coefficients (L kg−1) taking into account and were calculated to be and for benzene and chlorobenzene, respectively, on GAC. In addition, effective partitioning coefficients (L kg−1) were 650, 5640, and for benzene, chlorobenzene, and naphthalene, respectively, on Fe/Pd/GAC. Values of were 6.11, 7.11, and 7.54 for benzene, chlorobenzene, and naphthalene, respectively, for GAC and 4.53, 5.47, and 5.22, respectively, for Fe/Pd/GAC.

Highlights

Sediment contamination is an immense problem in terms of environmental health and remediation costs
Sediments mainly consist of minerals and carbon; they can act as good sorbents for various inorganic and organic contaminants, which can remain long after the source of pollution has been removed. These contaminated solids are at equilibrium with the porewater in the sediments
It is from here that the hazardous materials can be reemitted through diffusion and advection into the overlying body to water

Summary

Introduction

Sediment contamination is an immense problem in terms of environmental health and remediation costs. Contaminated sediments represent a common problem due to their tendency to sequester hazardous materials from different sources including point source municipal and industrial discharges, runoff from urban areas, and contaminated groundwater flow. Sediments mainly consist of minerals and carbon; they can act as good sorbents for various inorganic and organic contaminants, which can remain long after the source of pollution has been removed. These contaminated solids are at equilibrium with the porewater in the sediments. The contaminants can bioaccumulate into organisms from the tissue of these lower organisms, which may lead to an ecological and human health concern

Objectives

Methods

Results