1. BTX Removal from Open Aqueous Systems by Modified Cellulose Fibers and Evaluation of Competitive Evaporation Kinetics
- Author
-
Amerigo Beneduci, Antonio Tursi, Francesco Chidichimo, and Rita Bagetta
- Subjects
lcsh:Hydraulic engineering ,Geography, Planning and Development ,kinetic models ,02 engineering and technology ,010501 environmental sciences ,Aquatic Science ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry ,evaporation ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,lcsh:Water supply for domestic and industrial purposes ,Adsorption ,lcsh:TC1-978 ,Desorption ,Benzene ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Water Science and Technology ,lcsh:TD201-500 ,Volatilisation ,Aqueous solution ,Chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Toluene ,Solvent ,Cellulose fiber ,Chemical engineering ,adsorption ,BTX ,functionalized cellulose fibers ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
BTX stands for Benzene, Toluene, and Xylenes, which are volatile organic compounds contained in petroleum products such as gasoline. They have negative health effects and are sadly known for soil, air, and water contamination. This paper provides an investigation on BTX removal from open water systems like those represented by natural water bodies. In such systems, the evaporation process takes place, stealing the pollutants from the aqueous matrix by transferring them into the air, resulting in a secondary pollution. To prevent this situation, adsorption of these organic compounds on cellulose fibers, extracted from Spanish Broom vegetable, was studied. Raw and surface modified cellulose fibers were used for this purpose. The second ones were hydrophobized by two different green and low-cost functionalization systems (no solvent urethane functionalization and low pressure plasma treatments). Batch experiments were performed in an open system where BTX underwent two competing removing mechanisms: volatilization, and adsorption/desorption on/from the fibers dispersed in the water system. A mathematical model was implemented for the interpretation of the observed time-varying pollutant concentrations and the estimation of the kinetic constants for adsorption, desorption, and evaporation. The developed model, provided with the aforementioned parameters calibrated for each type of fibers, was then used for the prediction of their adsorption capacities both into open and closed systems.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF