The removal of chlorophenols from aqueous solutions using activated carbon adsorption integrated with H2O2 oxidation

摘要

The removal of eight chlorophenols (2-CP, 3-CP, 4-CP, 2,3-DCP, 2,4-DCP, 2,5-DCP, 2,6-DCP and 2,4,6-TCP) using adsorption on activated carbon and adsorption in the presence of hydrogen peroxide was investigated. The influence of the pH, activated carbon dosage and hydrogen peroxide concentration were studied. The effects of the chlorine atom position and the chlorine content in the chlorophenol molecules on their degradation were also studied. The results revealed that the integration of the activated carbon and H2O2 treatment was more effective for the removal of the chlorophenols than using the activated carbon alone. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption efficiency increased with the increasing substitution of chlorine on the aromatic ring. The degradation rate and degradation efficiency of the chlorophenols using the activated carbon integrated with H2O2 decreased with the increasing chlorine atoms in the molecule. The combination of the activated carbon with hydrogen peroxide may significantly enhance the process and could offer an interesting alternative in wastewater treatment.