Experimental investigation and predictive modeling of the adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water onto activated carbon. First annual report, September 1, 1980-October 31, 1981
Eleven of the sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which appear on the US Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutant list have been investigated with respect to adsorption onto activated carbon. Adsorption characteristics were examined in terms of PAH molecular and physicochemical properties. The partitioning behavior of PAH was investigated by generating adsorption isotherm data for eleven PAH from water onto Filtrasorb 400 activated carbon at 25/sup 0/C using batch shake testing. An evaluation of the Henry's Law, Langmuir, BET, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson adsorption isotherm equations indicated that the Langmuir equation most appropriately represents the data. Fitting the data to two linearized forms of the Langmuir equation provides estimates of the Langmuir parameters b and q/sup 0/ which apply over different equilibrium concentration (c/sub e/) ranges. The products of the parameters bq/sup 0/ obtained using the low c/sub e/ linear form of the Langmuir equation approximate Henry's Law adsorption constants. These values range from 2390 mg/g per mg/l for naphthalene to 326,000 mg/g per mg/l for chrysene. The parameter q/sup 0/ obtained using the high c/sub e/ linear form of the Langmuir equation reflects limiting adsorption capacity. These values range from 580 mg/g for naphthalene to 14.7 mg/g for benz(a)anthracene. The high c/sub e/ and low c/sub e/ capacity terms (q/sup 0/ and bq/sup 0/, respectively) were further correlated with several molecular and physicochemical parameters which have been proposed to explain chemical and physical properties of PAH. Correlations which are presented here provide an understanding of the behavior of PAH in industrial process and treated wastewaters, and will assist the engineer or scientist in assessing the design of treatment systems for PAH removal.
- Research Organization:
- Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Dept. of Civil Engineering
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG22-80PC30246
- OSTI ID:
- 5016186
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/PC/30246-1237; ON: DE82020723
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTIVATED CARBON
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
ADSORPTION
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
COAL LIQUEFACTION PLANTS
COKING PLANTS
CORRELATIONS
EQUATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
ISOTHERM
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
WASTE WATER
ADSORBENTS
AROMATICS
CARBON
DATA
ELEMENTS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SORPTION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
WASTES
WATER
010800* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Waste Management
520300 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1989)