title: Adsorption/bioadsorption of phthalic acid, an organic micropollutant present in landfill leachates, on activated carbons.
abstract: This study investigated the adsorption of phthalic acid (PA) in aqueous phase on two activated carbons with different chemical natures, analyzing the influence of: solution pH, ionic strength, water matrix (ultrapure water, ground water, surface water, and wastewater), the presence of microorganisms in the medium, and the type of regime (static and dynamic). The activated carbons used had a high adsorption capacity (242.9 mg/g and 274.5 mg/g), which is enhanced with their phenolic groups content. The solution pH had a major effect on PA adsorption on activated carbon; this process is favored at acidic pHs. PA adsorption was not affected by the presence of electrolytes (ionic strength) in solution, but was enhanced by the presence of microorganisms (bacteria) due to their adsorption on the carbon, which led up to an increase in the activated carbon surface hydrophobicity. PA removal varies as a function of the water type, increasing in the order: ground water<surface water≈ultrapure water<wastewater. The effectiveness of PA adsorption was lower in dynamic than in static regime due to the shorter adsorbent-adsorbate contact time in dynamic regime.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain. ppmendez@ugr.es
authors.forename: José D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Méndez-Díaz
authors.forename: Mahmoud M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Abdel daiem
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivera-Utrilla
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Polo
authors.forename: Isidora
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bautista-Toledo
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010795:Phthalic Acids; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002606:Charcoal; C032279:phthalic acid