Abstract
Humic acids react with chlorine to produce Trihalomethanes(THMs), known as carcinogens, during disinfection, the last stage in water purification. Currently, the removal of organic humic acids is considered the best approach to solve the problem of THM formation. Accordingly, the current study examined the adsorption of organic compounds of humic acids onto an inorganic carrier prepared from oyster shell waste. The adsorbent used was activated oyster shell powder(HAP) and silver ion-exchanged oyster shell powder(HAP-Ag), with CaCO$_3$ as the control. The adsorbates were phthalic acid, chelidamic acid, catechol, dodecylpyridinium chloride(DP), and 2-ethyl phenol(2-EP). The adsorption experiments were carried out in a batch shaker at $25^{\circ}C$ for 15 hours. The equilibrium concentration of the adsorbate solution was analyzed using a UV spectrophotometer and the data fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model. Since the solution pH values were found to be greater than the pKa values of the organic compounds used as adsorbates, the compounds apparently existed in ionic form. The adsorptive affinities of the organic acid and phenolic compounds varied depending on the interaction of electrostatic forces, ion exchange, and chelation. More carboxylic acids and catechol, rather than DP and 2-EP, were adsorbed onto HAP and HAP-Ag. HAP and HAP-Ag exhibited a greater adsorptive affinity for the organic compounds than CaCO$_3$, used as the control.
