Adsorption of Phenols from Aqueous Phase on Activated Carbon-Comparative Study

Abstract

The most hazard which humanity faces today is environmental pollution. The three natural media water, air and soil are receiving pollutants in ever increasing volume. Increasing environmental and scientific awareness and concern are bound to expand the role of granular activated carbon as the most efficient, broad spectrum and economical technology at tertiary level for scavenging refractory organics from potable and waste water. In the present work adsorption of some priority pollutants from their single and multi-component aqueous solutions on to various grades of granular activated carbons are studied. SEM and FTIR studies indicate the presence of various surface groups. The effect of physico-chemical parameters associated with the adsorbent on the adsorption equilibrium and adsorbate removal rate was also studied. Adsorption equilibrium and kinetic experiments are carried out in a batch reactor.