title: Simultaneous removal of pesticides from water by rice husk ash: batch and column studies.
abstract: The present study evaluated rice husk ash (RHA) as an adsorbent for simultaneous removal of a mixture of seven different pesticides (alachlor, metolachlor, chlorpyriphos, fipronil, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, and p,p'-DDT) and two metabolites (p,p'-DDE and endosulfan sulfate) from water. The adsorbent RHA was prepared in the laboratory and characterized by techniques such as X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Freundlich isotherm model fitted the equilibrium data better than the Langmuir model, and the maximum sorption capacity varied from 0.078 to 0.166 mg/g. The column elution studies showed that 10 L of mixed pesticide-contaminated water (0.05 mg/L) can be treated with only 10 g of RHA at a removal efficiency of 90%. The results implied that RHA can be used as a low-cost, easily available, and efficient adsorbent for the simultaneous removal of pesticides from contaminated water.
authors.forename: Ajoy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: V T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Gajbhiye
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Rakesh Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical