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Iron Amendment and Fenton Oxidation of MTBE-Spent Granular Activated Carbon
Citation:
HULING, S. G. AND S. Hwang. Iron Amendment and Fenton Oxidation of MTBE-Spent Granular Activated Carbon. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 44(8):2663-2671, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
To observe the impact on Fenton Regeneration of Activated Carbon
Description:
Fenton-driven regeneration of Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-spent granular activated carbon (GAC) involves Fe amendment to the GAC to catalyze H2O2 reactions and to enhance the rate of MTBE oxidation and GAC regeneration. Four forms of iron (ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, ferric nitrate, ferrous sulfate) were amended separately to GAC to investigate the effects of each on Fe retention and distribution, H2O2 reaction and MTBE oxidation. Following Fe amendment, MTBE was adsorbed to the GAC followed by multiple applications of H2O2. Fe retention in GAC was high (83.8-99.9%) and decreased in the following order, FeSO4•7H2O > Fe2(SO4)3•9H2O > Fe(NO3)3•9H2O > FeCl3. A correlation was established between post-sorption equilibrium MTBE concentrations in solution and Fe on the GAC for all forms of Fe investigated indicating that Fe amendment interfered with MTBE adsorption. The mass of MTBE adsorbed to the GAC was minimally affected by Fe loading. Relative to ferric iron amendments to GAC, ferrous iron amendment resulted in lower residual iron in solution, greater Fe immobilization in the GAC, greater penetration, more uniform dispersal, and less interference with MTBE adsorption. No clear trend was established between the counter-ion (SO42-, Cl-, NO3-) of the ferric iron amended to GAC and H2O2 reaction, MTBE adsorption, or MTBE oxidation, suggesting these processes are anion independent. MTBE oxidation was Fe limited and independent of the form of Fe amended to the GAC.
