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Removal of organic matter from reservoir water: mechanisms underpinning surface chemistry of natural adsorbents

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Abstract

One of the key challenges in water treatment industry is the removal of organic compounds by cost-effective methods. This study evaluated the adsorptive removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from reservoir water using fuller’s earth (FE) in comparison with natural (SQ) and modified quartz (MSQ) sands. The removal capacities of FE at different contact times, pH levels, adsorbent dosages and initial DOC concentrations were compared with both the quartz sands. The optimum DOC removals by FE and SQs were achieved at contact time of 60 and 30 min, pH level of 6 and 4, and at adsorbent dose of 1.5 g/150 mL and 10 g/100 mL, respectively. The adsorption capacity of FE (1.05 mg/g) was much higher compared to the MSQ (0.04 mg/g) and SQ (0.01 mg/g). Adsorption equilibrium data better fitted to the Freundlich model than to the Langmuir model, suggesting that adsorption occurred primarily through multilayer formation onto the surfaces of FE and SQ. The pseudo-second-order model described the uptake kinetics more effectively than the pseudo-first-order and intra-particle diffusion models, indicating that the mechanism was primarily governed by chemisorption. These observations were well supported by the physiochemical characteristics and charge behaviour of the adsorbents. In mass-transfer study, the results of liquid film diffusion model showed that the adsorption of DOC on FE was not controlled by film diffusion, but other mechanisms also played an essential role. This study demonstrates that FE is an effective adsorbent for the removal of DOC in surface water treatment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Australian Research Council (ARC) for providing financial support for this research project, under Grant LP110200208. The authors would also like to thank Prof. Peter Majewski and his team of Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, for providing the natural and modified quartz sands.

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Author notes

  1. B. Sarkar

    Present address: Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural and Built Environments Research Centre, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    S. Hussain, J. van Leeuwen, R. Aryal, C. W. K. Chow & S. Beecham

  2. Australian Water Quality Centre, South Australian Water Corporation, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia

    C. W. K. Chow

  3. Environmental Science and Engineering Strand, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    J. van Leeuwen & B. Sarkar

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  1. S. Hussain
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Correspondence to B. Sarkar.

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Editorial responsibility: Binbin Huang.

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Hussain, S., van Leeuwen, J., Aryal, R. et al. Removal of organic matter from reservoir water: mechanisms underpinning surface chemistry of natural adsorbents. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 15, 847–862 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-017-1447-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-017-1447-3

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