Impact of Nanoparticles on the Removal of Organic Pollutants by Activated Carbon Adsorption

The presence of nanoparticles in drinking water sources could impact organic pollutant removal by activated carbon due to agglomerated nanoparticles, which could act as adsorption sites for pollutants. Trichloroethylene (TCE) adsorption onto activated carbon in the presence of nanoparticles was evaluated in this study. Iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles at two concentration levels (0.5 and 1.0 mg/L for Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂, and 5.0 and 10 mg/L for SiO₂) were evaluated. Particle size distribution (PSD) of the above nanoparticle solutions was analyzed in order to determine the extent of aggregation. Adsorption isotherm experiments were conducted at three initial TCE concentrations, two nanoparticle concentrations, and with varying amounts of powdered activated carbon (PAC). Isotherm experiments were also conducted in the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) in order to more closely model natural water conditions. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of activated carbon adsorption of TCE in the presence of the aforementioned commercially available nanomaterials and NOM.