Combination of powdered activated carbon and powdered zeolite for enhancing ammonium removal in micro-polluted raw water.
Even zeolite is promising in ammonia pollution disposing, its removal efficiency is frequently interfered by organics. As activated carbon has good removal efficiency on organic contaminants, combination of two adsorbents may allow their respective adsorption characteristics into full play. This paper provides a performance assessment of the combination for enhancing ammonium removal in micro-polluted raw water. Gel-filtration chromatography (GFC) was carried out to quantify the molecular weight (MW) range of organic contaminants that powdered activated carbon (PAC) and powdered zeolite (PZ) can remove. The polydispersity difference which also calculated from GFC may indicate the wider organic contaminants removal range of PAC and the relatively centralized removal range of PZ. The jar tests of combination dosing confirm a synergistic effect which promotes ammonium removing. Nevertheless, it also shows an antagonism hindering the due removal performance of the two adsorbents on CODMn, while it is not much evident on UV254. Furthermore, a comparison study with simulated coagulation-sedimentation process was conducted to evaluate the optimum dosing points (spatial and temporal) of PAC and PZ among follows: suction well, pipeline mixer, early and middle phase of flocculation. We suggest to dose both two adsorbents into the early phase of flocculation to maximize the versatile removal efficiency on turbidity, ammonium and organic contaminants.
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development, Tongji University, China. Electronic address: zl_liao@tongji.edu.cn.
Zhen-Liang
ZL
Liao
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development, Tongji University, China. Electronic address: chenhao_722@163.com.
Hao
H
Chen
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China. Electronic address: 380078303@qq.com.
Bai-Rong
BR
Zhu
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China. Electronic address: lihz@tongji.edu.cn.
Huai-Zheng
HZ
Li
D000327:Adsorption; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D005427:Flocculation; D011208:Powders; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry*
D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D011208:Powders; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D017641:Zeolites; D002606:Charcoal; D000641:Ammonia
Ammonium; Coagulation–sedimentation; Molecular weight (MW); Organic contaminants; Powdered activated carbon (PAC); Powdered zeolite (PZ)