Evaluation of Efficiency of the Surface Treated Carbon Derived From the Scrap Tires for the Removal of Nitrate from the Kan, Karun, Jajrood Rivers

Abstract

Article history: Received: 9 June Received in revised form: 12 July Accepted: 20 July Available online: August Increasing the concentration of nitrate in water and wastewater is one of the most important problems in industrialized and developing countries and the use of simple, effective and cheap method for removing of them is considered by the researchers. Among the different methods that were introduced for removal of these pollutants, adsorption, by considering the ease of operation, low cost and no need to advanced equipment, has special importance. In this research, the efficiency of the surface treated carbon derived from the scrap tires was investigated for the removal of nitrate from water and was compared with activated carbon. The optimum parameters of adsorption were obtained such as pH, the amount of adsorbent, the initial concentration of nitrate and the adsorption time. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics of the adsorption have also considered. Results are shown that the zinc chloride surface treated pyrolytic carbon has better capability to adsorb nitrate at pH=4. The adsorption capacity for the nitrate was 11 mg/g. Adsorption was investigated by two models of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and the Freundlich isotherm was shown better results. The kinetic of the adsorption was confirmed with the pseudo second order kinetic. The obtained optimum parameters were used for removal of nitrate ion from real samples of Karoon, Kan and Jajrood River and were shown acceptable results.