Sorption of phenol and radioactive cesium onto surfactant modified insolubilized humic acid

Abstract

In this study, the sorption behavior of two important contaminants, phenol and radioactive cesium (137Cs), onto surfactant modified insolubilized humic acid (SMIA) were investigated as a function of time, sorbate concentration utilizing the radiotracer method and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Phenol sorption process was well described by both Freundlich and Tempkin type isotherms, and cesium sorption was described by Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. It was found that SMIA adsorbs both cations and phenolic substances. Kinetic studies indicated that adsorption behavior of phenol obey the pseudo second order rate law. FTIR spectroscopic technique was used to understand the structural changes during modification process with surfactants.