Comparison between two forms of granular activated carbon for the removal of pharmaceuticals from different waters.
Environ Technol
; 37(11): 1334-45, 2016.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26584017
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of two forms of basic granular activated carbon (GAC), mineral (pH = 10.5) and vegetal (pH = 9), for the removal of three pharmaceuticals, as sulphamethoxazole (SMX), diclofenac (DCF) and 17ß-estradiol (E2), from two different matrices fortified distilled (2.4-3.0â
mgâ
L(-1) and pH from 5.5 to 6.5) and natural (â¼1.0â
mgâ
L(-1) and pH from 7.1 to 7.2) water in a bench scale. The Rapid Small-Scale Column Test used to assess the ability of mineral and vegetal GAC on removal of such pharmaceuticals led to removal capacities varying from 14.9 to 23.5â
mgâ
g(-1) for E2, from 23.7 to 24.2â
mgâ
g(-1) for DCF and from 20.5 to 20.6â
mgâ
g(-1) for SMX. Removal efficiencies of 71%, 88% and 74% for DCF, SMX and E2, respectively, were obtained at breakthrough point when using mineral GAC, whereas for the vegetal GAC the figures were 76%, 77% and 65%, respectively. The carbon usage rate at the breakthrough point varied from 11.9 to 14.5â
Lâ
g(-1) for mineral GAC and from 8.8 to 14.8â
Lâ
g(-1) for vegetal GAC. Mineral CAG also exhibited the best performance when treating fortified natural water, since nearly complete removal was observed for all contaminants in the column operated for 22â
h at a carbon usage rate of 2.9â
Lâ
g(-1).
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Sulfamethoxazole
/
Water Pollutants, Chemical
/
Charcoal
/
Diclofenac
/
Water Purification
/
Estradiol
/
Endocrine Disruptors
Language:
En
Journal:
Environ Technol
Journal subject:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
/
TOXICOLOGIA
Year:
2016
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil