title: Utilization of granular activated carbon adsorber for nitrates removal from groundwater of the Cluj region.
abstract: The level of nitrates from groundwater from Cluj County and other areas from Romania have increased values, exceeding or getting close to the allowed limit values, putting in danger human and animal heath. In this study we used granular activated carbon adsorbent (GAC) for nitrate (NO(-)3) removal for the production of drinking water from groundwater of the Cluj county. The influences of the contact time, nitrate initial concentration, and adsorbent concentration have been studied. We determined the equilibrium adsorption capacity of GAC, used for NO(-)3 removal and we applied the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used for process characterization. We also determined: pH, conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids and Total Hardness. The GAC adsorbents have excellent capacities of removing nitrate from groundwater from Cluj County areas.
authors.affiliation: Somes Water Company, Water Analyses Laboratory of the WTP Gilau, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Silvia C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Moşneag
authors.forename: Violeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinescu
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borodi
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002606:Charcoal; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009566:Nitrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012383:Romania; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002606:Charcoal