How aromatic dissolved organic matter differs in competitiveness against organic micropollutant adsorption

Activated carbon is employed for the adsorption of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from water, typically present in concentrations ranging from ng L⁻¹ to μg L⁻¹. However, the efficacy of OMP removal is considerably deteriorated due to competitive adsorption from background dissolved organic matter (DOM), present at...

Adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of water-soluble polymers (PVP and PEG) on kaolin and montmorillonite minerals

The excessive use and accumulation of water-soluble polymers (WSPs, known as “liquid plastics”) in the environment can pose potential risks to both ecosystems and human health, but the environmental fate of WSPs remains unclear. Here, the adsorption behavior of WSPs with different molecular weight on kaolinite (Kaol) and montmorillonite (Mt)...

Water Adsorption in MOFs: Structures and Applications

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are superior sorbents for water adsorption-based applications. The unique step-like water isotherm at a MOF-specific relative pressure allows easy loading and regeneration over a small range of temperature and pressure conditions. With good hydrothermal stability and cyclic durability, it stands out over...

Associating properties of dissolved organic matter to competitiveness against organic micropollutant adsorption onto activated carbon

To eliminate organic micropollutants (OMPs) from (surface) water, activated carbon adsorption is a cost-effective technology to remove a broad range of OMPs without producing any byproducts. However, co-existing dissolved organic matter (DOM), at much higher concentrations (mg C/L) than OMPs (ng/L-μg/L), inducing adsorption competition, can...

Adsorption of humic acid fractions by a magnetic ion exchange resin

Natural organic matter in waters varies in different fractions. To better understand the removal of different fractions by a magnetic ion exchange (MIEX) resin and the mechanism behind it, this study investigated adsorption kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamics of humic acid (HA) fractions with different hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties...

Unraveling competition versus adsorbability of dissolved organic matter against organic micropollutants onto activated carbon

It was widely acknowledged that dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural water has ubiquitous competitiveness against organic micropollutants (OMPs) during adsorption onto activated carbon. However, some (model) low molecular weight organics have been reported to adsorb onto activated carbon, but were not competitive against co-adsorbates....

Removal of organic micropollutants by well-tailored granular zeolites and subsequent ozone-based regeneration

Advanced technologies to remove organic micropollutants (OMPs) from municipal wastewater have gained much attention over the last decades. Adsorption by zeolites is one of these technologies. In this study, the regeneration performance of well-tailored granular zeolites loaded with OMPs was evaluated. The selected OMPs were categorized into...

How properties of low molecular weight model competitors impact organic micropollutant adsorption onto activated carbon at realistically asymmetric concentrations

Low molecular weight (LMW) dissolved organic matter (DOM) is the predominant competitor for adsorption sites against organic micropollutants (OMPs) in activated carbon adsorption. However, top-down approaches using highly complex mixtures of real water DOM do not allow to concisely examine the impacts of specific LMW DOM molecular properties...

Ozone-Based Regeneration of Granular Zeolites Loaded with Organic Micropollutants

The removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in the aquatic environment is crucial to avoid health hazards. Zeolites have been confirmed as a selective adsorbent and can effectively remove target OMPs. To achieve sustainable application of adsorbents, regeneration of zeolites is required. <br/>The objective of this study was to investigate the...

Projecting competition between 2-methylisoborneol and natural organic matter in adsorption onto activated carbon from ozonated source waters

Though the ozone-activated carbon process has been widely applied for drinking water purification, little is known about how ozone-modified natural organic matter (NOM) competes with micropollutants in activated carbon adsorption. In this study, three natural waters and one synthetic water (standard humics solution) with highly heterogeneous...