Document 91NRD0kQpMLJBkoe4jrGJndb7

\ Wot for Publication fr*Mntd Before ih Division o^"fciiviro.imantal Chemistry Amor icon Cu.>w..cjl Society Houston, Toss a, March 21-2B, 1910 REMOVAL OF PCB's FROM WATER toY ACTIVATED CARBON Ih Til* PRiSlPKIL OF HUMIC ACIDS ' ' N. KosoiMsFirbosori)ond Waiter J. Weber, Jr. Environmental ond Motor Rosourcos Engineering Tho University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Mi 4B109 The introduction of polychlorinated byphenyls (PCB's) to the aquatic environ.nont is multifaceted and extensive. Point sources inclui.i municipal snJ industrial discharges containing trace amounts of hydraulic, lubricating, snd transformer fluids. Surface run-off and .eariiutu from land-fills and dumps containing PCB-incori<oratcii materials, as w-'ll <g aariel fallout froa improper incineration are additional sources oi l*CB contamination. Recent evidence a 1 so indicates that chlurcLiphenyls may form during chlorination of bipnnnyl wastes. Noed- to uuy, the toxicity of PCli places it high on tho list of cnviru:v cr.u 11 y important pollutants. Adsorption on activated carbon has proven -o ba an effective pro- cefs tor removal of a broad spectrum of organic compounds iron, .tquouus I u: nvi. This paper addresses quant i f icat ion of th*i effectiveness u; caibon fcr removing PCB's from water supplies in the presence of a r .joi coTpc-ing class of compounds, humic aciJs. tgui librium, kinetic let-.,-term column studies have teen conducted to evaluate the uasorpd. na .ics o: PCB's with respect to activated carton. The dovelupof .idsorption methouoloqie* for i'CU's requires that the volatility r.d vMic.i.ely low solubility of these compounds, coupled with the nccu.itfity for detection at very low concentration levels, be given appropriate consideration. Further, conmercial I'Cb's arc comprised o: various isomers which demonstrate different l.clwwiors with respect to both activated carbon and the glass and/or Teflon reactois in wr.icii .i.isorption studies are typically cirriol out. Tnis paper describes the results of adsorption experiments with t..< . ypv-,. of corisercial i*C8 kuiuui and selected single isomers, :i t;.e ptesenco and absence uf humic aci.ls, designed to evaluate and : liter iv the adsorption behavioi of sing lo->:o*i|iouent and muiti- e< ; systt .s. Figure 1 presents typical experimental data and !'uvi.hu'h isotherms for Aroclur I2T4 in organic-tiw water (GFW) .1, r.w: ic acid background solutions. Figure 2 demonstrates typical , . - j uiy ned bitch iw'MHl reactor rate data tor Aiovlor 12^4 in .. .. ...a 1...-.1C acid syutt..s. Thu papt-r also discusne* the recalls : . .-w st. ..atior.a of different expei nwvntai conditions snd types of : . -i.i i-uterials that can be used in conjunction with BCB Adsorption HONS 0 1 9 3 4 2