Some Unmodified Household Adsorbents for the Adsorption of Benzalkonium Chloride—A Kinetic and Thermodynamic Case Study for Commercially Available Paper
Bitay E. Csavdari A.
December 2023Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Toxics
2023#11Issue 12
The extensive use of biocide surfactant benzalkonium chloride (BAC) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to the buildup of this hazardous chemical in waste, surface and groundwater. e The study aims to elucidate whether various low-cost household materials are suitable, in their unmodified and untreated form, to effectively adsorb BAC from its aqueous solutions. Additionally, if a proper adsorbent is identified, a description of the kinetics and thermodynamics of the process is also targeted. From among the five tested materials, a commercially available white household paper towel was chosen to best satisfy the criteria of low price, large availability, and standardization degree, as well as high adsorption capacity within a fairly short time window needed until equilibrium. Batch experiments were carried out with a commercial mixture of BAC-12 and BAC-14 within a temperature range of 18-45 degrees Celsius, and a 25-100 mg/g BAC/adsorbent initial mass ratio range, respectively. The overall process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic law, with an apparent activation energy of 73.35 KJ/mole. Both the Langmuir and the Redlich–Peterson isotherms describe the equilibrium data at 298 K well, with a Gibbs free energy of −20.64 KJ/mole. These findings are in agreement with previous reports and suggest a hybrid but chemisorption-dominated process.
adsorption , benzalkonium chloride , chemisorption-dominated process , household paper , pseudo-second-order kinetic law , unmodified adsorbents
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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Calea Sighișoarei 2, Târgu-Mureş, 540485, Romania
Bánki Donát Faculty of Mechanical and Safety Engineering, Óbuda University, Népszínház Street 8, Budapest, 1081, Hungary
Research Institute of the Transylvanian Museum Society, Napoca Street 2-4, Cluj-Napoca, 400009, Romania
Department of Chemical Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Arany Janos Street 11, Cluj-Napoca, 400028, Romania
Department of Analytical, Colloidal Chemistry and Technology of Rare Elements, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi Avenue, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Bánki Donát Faculty of Mechanical and Safety Engineering
Research Institute of the Transylvanian Museum Society
Department of Chemical Engineering
Department of Analytical
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