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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370597
Research Project: Conservation Practice Impacts on Water Quality at Field and Watershed Scales

Location: National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory

Title: Removal of atrazine and lead by charcoal

Author
item Gonzalez, Javier
item Boddu, Veera

Submitted to: American Geophysical Union
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/3/2019
Publication Date: 12/9/2019
Citation: Gonzalez, J.M., Boddu, V.M. 2019. Removal of atrazine and lead by charcoal [abstract]. American Geophysical Union. Abstract No. H43Q-2327.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pesticides and trace metals are some pollutants that may impair drinking water sources. Thus, the removal of these pollutants is necessary to improve water quality. Materials to sorb these pollutants need to be efficient, readily available, affordable, and easy to use. Commercial charcoal, a rich-carbon material, may sorb organic compounds and metals. In this study, we investigated the removal of atrazine and lead from aqueous solutions by commercial charcoal. This material was used as is or rinsed with water or weak solutions of acetic acid, HCl, or NaOH to modify its surface properties to perform sorption kinetics, and isotherm studies. The results show that the commercial charcoal might remove pollutants in water, and the extent of the removal is dependent on the charcoal surface treatment, pollutant type, and concentration levels. The results of this study are valuable for the design of pollution control systems for the removal of organic pollutants like atrazine, and trace metals like lead. Further studies are needed to elucidate the changes of the surface properties of the adsorbent due to different surface treatments, and to identify the sorption mechanisms for these pollutants.