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Adsorption of humic substances: the effects of heterogeneity and system characteristics
Author(s) -
Weber Walter J.,
Voice Thomas C.,
Jodellah Abdullah
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1983.tb05246.x
Subject(s) - adsorption , carbon fibers , chemistry , humic acid , activated carbon , particle size , ion , slurry , chemical engineering , particle (ecology) , environmental chemistry , inorganic chemistry , chromatography , organic chemistry , materials science , environmental science , environmental engineering , geology , fertilizer , composite number , engineering , composite material , oceanography
The study from which this article derives focused on the identification and quantification of parameters that affect the adsorption of humic substances by activated carbon and on the application of these findings to water treatment practice. Results reported here demonstrate the dependence of adsorption on pH, initial concentration of humic material, carbon dosage and particle size, and levels of various inorganic ions in solution. Many of the observed effects are attributable to the fact that humic substances are mixtures of compounds and that their adsorption is therefore a multicomponent process. The distribution of adsorptivities within these mixtures appears to vary with the presence of certain ions, most notably Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ . These findings have been applied to bench‐scale granular carbon columns and to powdered‐carbon slurry systems. The results are discussed from both theoretical and application points of view.