title: Adsorption of dissolved organic matter onto activated carbon--the influence of temperature, absorption wavelength, and molecular size.
abstract: In this study, batch and column adsorption experiments with granular activated carbon (GAC) were carried out for removing dissolved organic matter (DOM) of a pond water at different water temperatures (5, 20, and 35 degrees C). The water was characterized before and after the adsorption step using UV/VIS spectroscopy and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) combined with diode array detection (DAD). DOM breakthrough of GAC filters has been found to be slower at higher water temperatures, the DOM removal being most effective at 35 degrees C. UV/VIS spectra and SEC chromatograms of water samples treated at different water temperatures indicate that an increase in temperature especially supports the adsorption of small DOM molecules as well as molecules absorbing at higher wavelengths, specifying aromatic structures of DOM. SEC-DAD has been demonstrated to be an efficient method for characterizing DOM of natural waters and for detecting relative changes of DOM during the water treatment process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Water Chemistry, Dresden University of Technology, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmalz
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Worch
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000327:Adsorption; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D005374:Filtration; D005618:Fresh Water; D005858:Germany; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013696:Temperature; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon