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

Journal article (2022)

Authors

Q. Wang Sanitary Engineering - CEG , Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
F.E. Zietzschmann Berliner Wasserbetriebe, Sanitary Engineering - CEG
Roberta Hofman-Caris KWR Water Research Institute
N. Jiang Sanitary Engineering - CEG
Jonas Schuster Hamburg University of Technology
Zheng Wang Shanghai National Engineering Research Center of Urban Water Resources
Jianwei Yu Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Min Yang Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
L.C. Rietveld Water Management
Research Group
Sanitary Engineering (CEG) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2022 Q. Wang, F.E. Zietzschmann, Roberta Hofman-Caris, N. Jiang, Jonas Schuster, Zheng Wang, Jianwei Yu, Min Yang, L.C. Rietveld
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120942
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) Activated carbon Competitive adsorption Adsorption isotherm Adsorbability
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Published Date

2022

Language

English

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Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Water Management

Research Group

Sanitary Engineering

Abstract

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. The objective of this study is to identify which adsorbable DOM fractions in natural water contribute to the DOM competitiveness, and what is the impact of the OMP adsorbability and initial OMP concentration on this competitiveness. We, therefore, disassociated the adsorption of DOM fractions and OMPs (carbamazepine, caffeine and sulfamethoxazole) using a two-stage adsorption procedure, removing various adsorbable DOM fractions with powdered activated carbon pretreatment and then unraveling the competitiveness against OMPs of the remaining DOM. Our results demonstrated that DOM competition was not ubiquitous for all adsorbable fractions in natural water, and ∼ 25% of the adsorbable DOM was not competitive. The poorly adsorbable DOM was shown to be a non-competitive co-adsorbate, and its complexation even elevated the adsorption capacity of one of the OMPs (carbamazepine). The amount of DOM competitors increased for weaker adsorbable OMPs, and at higher initial OMP concentrations. The variability in DOM competition, differentiated by DOM adsorbability, has advanced the understanding of DOM competition, from ubiquitous competition to variable roles (varying competitiveness/complementary adsorption) of differently adsorbable DOM fractions during OMP adsorption.