Enhanced sorption of phenanthrene on activated carbon in surfactant solution

摘要

Distribution of a hazardous hydrophobic organic compound (HOC) and a nonionic surfactant in aqueous/activated carbon systems was investigated. Phenanthrene was selected as a representative HOC and Triton X-100 as a surfactant. Three activated carbons that differed in size (Darco 20-40,12-20 and 4-12 mesh sizes) were used in the adsorption experiments. The system was analyzed using a mathematical partitioning model and compared with intrinsic sorption of phenanthrene without the effect of sorbed surfactant. Phenanthrene was sorbed onto activated carbon in a greater amount than an estimated value by intrinsic sorption, even though surfactant molecules covered most of surfaces. The sorbed surfactant was much more effective as a sorbent for phenanthrene, in the range of 1.2-98 for effectiveness factor, than was activated carbon, particularly at high surfactant doses. We introduced surface molar solubilization ratio (MSR_s) for sorbed micelles of surfactant and mathematically estimated using effectiveness factor and available carbon fraction of activated carbon after surfactant sorption. The MSR_s for sorbed surfactant was 5-46 times higher than the MSR for micellar surfactant in bulk solution. The sorbed surfactant onto activated carbon can more effectively remove hazardous organic compounds in liquid environmental samples.