Activated Carbons Derived from Different Parts of Corn Plant and Their Ability to Remove Phenoxyacetic Herbicides from Polluted Water

Beata Doczekalska (), Natalia Ziemińska, Krzysztof Kuśmierek and Andrzej Świątkowski
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Beata Doczekalska: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Department of Chemical Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Natalia Ziemińska: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Department of Chemical Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Krzysztof Kuśmierek: Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland
Andrzej Świątkowski: Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: In this study, the adsorption of phenoxyacetic acid (PAA) and its chlorinated derivatives, including 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4CPA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), on activated carbons (ACs) from corn kernels (AC-K), corn leaves (AC-L), and corn silk (AC-S) were investigated. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model, and the film diffusion was the rate-limiting step. The adsorption rate increased in the order PAA < 4CPA < 2,4-D and was correlated with the porous structure (mesopore volume) of these ACs. The Langmuir isotherm models best fit the experimental data; PAA was adsorbed least and 2,4-D most preferentially. The observed trend (PAA < 4CPA < 2,4-D) was positively correlated with the molecular weight of the adsorbates and their hydrophobicity while being inversely correlated with their solubility in water. The adsorption for 2,4-D, according to the Langmuir equation, is equal to 2.078, 2.135, and 2.467 mmol/g and S BET 1600, 1720, and 1965 m 2 /g, respectively. The results for other herbicides showed a similar correlation. The adsorption of phenoxy herbicides was strongly pH-dependent. The ACs produced from corn biomass can be an eco-friendly choice, offering sustainable products that could be used as efficient adsorbents for removing phenoxyacetic herbicides from water.

Keywords: corn biomass; activated carbon; chemical activation; pore structure; surface chemistry; phenoxyacetic herbicides adsorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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