Title: Removal of phenols from aqueous solutions of treated rice husk ash

Authors: R.M. Aghav; Pradyut Kundu; Sunil Kumar; Somnath Mukherjee

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, Jadavpur University, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal, India. ' Department of Food Technology, APC Roy Polytechnic, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal, India. ' Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Kolkata Zonal Laboratory, I-8, Sector 'C', East Kolkata, EM Bypass, Kolkata 700 107, West Bengal, India. ' Department of Civil Engineering, Jadavpur University, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal, India

Abstract: In the present study, Rice Husk Ash (RHA), a rice mill industry waste, was used as a low-cost adsorbent for the adsorptive removal of phenol from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were carried out to obtain adsorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherms with phenol spiked synthetic solutions. The desorption tests along with the effects of solution pH and dosages of adsorbent on removal of phenol were also investigated. Experimental results showed that approximately 84% removal efficiencies were achieved at given adsorption conditions for phenol-RHA. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm model fitted well with the data on adsorption of phenol.

Keywords: phenol removal; phenol adsorption; batch study; adsorption kinetics; equilibrium isotherms; interruption test desorption study; phenols; aqueous solutions; rice husk ash; solid waste management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2012.049244

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2012 Vol.15 No.3/4/5/6, pp.539 - 558

Published online: 17 Dec 2014 *

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