Acid modified natural clay as a judicious solution for the successive treatment of ametryn

摘要

In this study, a locally sourced clay was harnessed and modified as a renewable and low cost adsorbent. The modified clay (ANC) was subjected to the evaluation of morphological structure, detection of surface functional groups, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption test. The adsorptive potential was examined for the effective treatment of ametryn. Equilibrium data were simulated using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Redlich-Peterson isotherms models. Adsorption kinetic was fitted to the pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and Elovich kinetic equations, while the adsorption mechanism was established by the intraparticle diffusion model. The newly prepared ANC demonstrated the high specific surface area, Langmuir surface area and total pore volume of 43.34 m(2)/g, 55.80 m(2)/g, and 0.120 cm(3)/g, respectively, verified by the Scanning Electron Micrograph and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The adsorption data was satisfactory described by the Langmuir isotherm model, with a monolayer adsorption capacity for ametryn of 85.16 mg/g. The adsorption kinetic was best confronted to the pseudo-second order model, suggesting chemisorption is the rate limiting step. The findings supported the viability of ANC as a promising and economical solution for the successive remediation of pesticide contaminated agricultural runoff.