Evaluation of Nitrate Removal from Water using Activated Carbon and Clinoptilolite by Adsorption Method

Morteza Kashefi Asl¹, Amir Hesam Hasani² and Ehsan Naserkhaki³

¹School of Marine Science and Technology, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

²Faculty of Environmental, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.

³Graduate student in chemical engineering, environmental engineering, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2131

ABSTRACT: Nitrate is colorless, odorless and has no taste and is not detectable in drinking water without testing. Nitrate is one of the most important pollutants of urban and rural drinking water. Recently, the use of different technologies to remove these contaminants is investigated. In this study, activated carbon and natural zeolite clinoptilolite are used as two adsorpents for the removal of nitrate from the water by adsorption in different situations. Results of removing these two adsorbents by batch method and changing effective factors such as contact time, temperature, pH, adsorbent dosage and initial concentration of the Nitrate. The best efficiency for nitrate removal from 60ml water for activated carbon in a 4 g dose sorbent, contact time of 60 min, temperature of ° c 20, pH=6.5 and the initial concentration of 100 mg/lit is 62.61 percent and from adsorpent Clinoptilolite, in terms of 4 g adsorbent dosage, contact time of 60min, temperature of ° c 20, pH=5.5 and the initial concentration of 100 mg/lit is 8.7 percent. Freundlich adsorption isotherm for activated carbon and Langmuir adsorption isotherm have good match for clinoptilolite. Second order pseudo adsorbing kinetics (Ho) for activated carbon and first order pseudo adsorbing kinetics (Lagergren) are in good agreement for clinoptilolite. From the obtained adsorbing kinetics, we can conclude that Nitrate adsorbing from the water using chemical activated carbon and physical clinoptilolite are used.

KEYWORDS: Nitrate; Water; Activated carbon; Clinoptilolite; Adsorption; Adsorption Isotherms; Adsorption Kinetics

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