Models of adsorption of natural contaminants from treated water for municipal purposes on powdered activated carbon

Abstract

The paper investigates whether time and doses of powder activated carbon (PAC) effect adsorption rates of organic contaminants from water and proposes a new model of volume adsorption. Depending on the nature of the organic compounds present in water, a general description of the adsorption process may require a linear combination of adsorption models running at different rates and at different parameters of adsorption isotherms. The model showed a good fit with the measured data and could be used in designing adsorption units at water or wastewater treatment plants. The proposed set of model equations enables to predict the effects of PAC adsorption in both plug flow reactors and homogeneous reactors.