Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Selective removal of color substances by carbon-based adsorbents in livestock wastewater effluents

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Livestock wastewater effluent generated after the anaerobic treatment process contains the considerable amount of color-causing organic matter. In this study, a quantitative comparison of three carbon-based adsorbents included granular activated carbon (GAC), expanded graphite (EG), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was carried out for the potential application to the removal of color substances, and their mechanism was proposed. Although GAC showed the highest specific dissolved organic carbon (DOC) adsorption capacity, the color removal efficiency was the smallest among three adsorbents. The selective color removal ratios of EG and MWNTs reached 22.7 ± 0.1 PtCo/mg-DOC-removed and 21.2 ± 0.1 PtCo/mg-DOC-removed, respectively, while that of GAC was only 12.3 ± 0.1 PtCo/mg-DOC-removed. The selective adsorption of color substances by graphene-based carbon materials was due to the aromatic π–π interaction between organic matter and the hexagonal carbon lattice of graphene. The analysis of molecular weight distribution also confirmed that the exposed surface area and macro-pores were responsible for the adsorption of high molecular weight color substances. The chemical regeneration of three adsorbents was examined using 1% NaOCl solution and MWNTs showed almost complete recovery of the initial color removal capacity. In conclusion, MWNTs were the most suitable carbon nanomaterial for the selective color removal from livestock wastewater effluent.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmad, A., & Hameed, B. (2009). Reduction of COD and color of dyeing effluent from a cotton textile mill by adsorption onto bamboo-based activated carbon. Journal of Hazardous Materials,172(2–3), 1538–1543.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Álvarez-Torrellas, S., Peres, J., Gil-Álvarez, V., Ovejero, G., & García, J. (2017). Effective adsorption of non-biodegradable pharmaceuticals from hospital wastewater with different carbon materials. Chemical Engineering Journal,320, 319–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azmi, N. B., Bashir, M. J., Sethupathi, S., Wei, L. J., & Aun, N. C. (2015). Stabilized landfill leachate treatment by sugarcane bagasse derived activated carbon for removal of color, COD and NH3-N–optimization of preparation conditions by RSM. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering,3(2), 1287–1294.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatnagar, A., & Sillanpää, M. (2017). Removal of natural organic matter (NOM) and its constituents from water by adsorption—A review. Chemosphere,166, 497–510.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burakov, A. E., Galunin, E. V., Burakova, I. V., Kucherova, A. E., Agarwal, S., Tkachev, A. G., et al. (2018). Adsorption of heavy metals on conventional and nanostructured materials for wastewater treatment purposes: A review. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety,148, 702–712.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W., Westerhoff, P., Leenheer, J. A., & Booksh, K. (2003). Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix regional integration to quantify spectra for dissolved organic matter. Environmental Science and Technology,37(24), 5701–5710.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collivignarelli, M. C., Abbà, A., Miino, M. C., & Damiani, S. (2019). Treatments for color removal from wastewater: State of the art. Journal of Environmental Management,236, 727–745.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Do, Q. C., & Kang, S. (2016). Thermodynamic analysis of fatty acid harvesting by novel carbon-based adsorbent. Environmental Science and Pollution Research,23(8), 7146–7154.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Do, Q. C., Kim, M.-S., Kim, D., Ko, S.-O., & Kang, S. (2016). Sustainable harvesting of aqueous phase fatty acids by expanded graphite and isopropyl alcohol. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy,41(46), 21780–21786.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fan, S., Wang, Y., Wang, Z., Tang, J., Tang, J., & Li, X. (2017). Removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution by sewage sludge-derived biochar: Adsorption kinetics, equilibrium, thermodynamics and mechanism. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering,5(1), 601–611.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghaedi, M., Sadeghian, B., Pebdani, A. A., Sahraei, R., Daneshfar, A., & Duran, C. (2012). Kinetics, thermodynamics and equilibrium evaluation of direct yellow 12 removal by adsorption onto silver nanoparticles loaded activated carbon. Chemical Engineering Journal,187, 133–141.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hyung, H., & Kim, J.-H. (2008). Natural organic matter (NOM) adsorption to multi-walled carbon nanotubes: Effect of NOM characteristics and water quality parameters. Environmental Science and Technology,42(12), 4416–4421.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ip, A., Barford, J., & McKay, G. (2009). Reactive Black dye adsorption/desorption onto different adsorbents: Effect of salt, surface chemistry, pore size and surface area. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science,337(1), 32–38.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jang, J. K., Jin, Y. J., Kang, S., Kim, T., Paek, Y., Sung, J. H., et al. (2017). Simultaneous removal of organic pollutants, nitrogen, and phosphorus from livestock wastewater by microbubble-oxygen in a single reactor. Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers,39(11), 599–606.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, L., Liu, Y., Liu, S., Zeng, G., Hu, X., Hu, X., et al. (2017). Adsorption of estrogen contaminants by graphene nanomaterials under natural organic matter preloading: Comparison to carbon nanotube, biochar, and activated carbon. Environmental Science and Technology,51(11), 6352–6359.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kai, H., Ishibashi, Y., Mori, T., Ishibashi, H., Kawaguchi, I., Ohwaki, H., et al. (2010). Decolorization and estrogenic activity of colored livestock wastewater after electrolysis treatment. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management,12(2), 128–135.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karanfil, T., Schlautman, M. A., & Erdogan, I. (2002). Survey of DOC and UV measurement practices with implications for SUVA determination. Journal-American Water Works Association,94(12), 68–80.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khaled, A., El Nemr, A., El-Sikaily, A., & Abdelwahab, O. (2009). Removal of Direct N Blue-106 from artificial textile dye effluent using activated carbon from orange peel: Adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies. Journal of Hazardous Materials,165(1–3), 100–110.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, M., Park, K., & Kim, J. M. (2016). Phosphate recovery from livestock wastewater using iron oxide nanotubes. Chemical Engineering Research and Design,114, 119–128.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kizito, S., Wu, S., Kirui, W. K., Lei, M., Lu, Q., Bah, H., et al. (2015). Evaluation of slow pyrolyzed wood and rice husks biochar for adsorption of ammonium nitrogen from piggery manure anaerobic digestate slurry. Science of the Total Environment,505, 102–112.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kong, Y., Yuan, J., Wang, Z., Yao, S., & Chen, Z. (2009). Application of expanded graphite/attapulgite composite materials as electrode for treatment of textile wastewater. Applied Clay Science,46(4), 358–362.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J.-J. (2012). Adsorption equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics studies of malachite green using zeolite. Clean Technology,18(1), 76–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C.-Y., Jee, H.-S., Chung, J.-W., Kim, S.-H., Cho, Y.-C., & Kang, S.-T. (2012). Adsorption of p-Xylene by expanded graphite. Journal of the Korean Geoenvironmental Society,13(5), 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y., Du, Q., Liu, T., Peng, X., Wang, J., Sun, J., et al. (2013). Comparative study of methylene blue dye adsorption onto activated carbon, graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes. Chemical Engineering Research and Design,91(2), 361–368.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, P., Gao, B., Li, A., & Yang, H. (2018). Highly selective adsorption of dyes and arsenate from their aqueous mixtures using a silica-sand/cationized-starch composite. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials,263, 210–219.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Q., Snoeyink, V. L., Mariñas, B. J., & Campos, C. (2003). Pore blockage effect of NOM on atrazine adsorption kinetics of PAC: The roles of PAC pore size distribution and NOM molecular weight. Water Research,37(20), 4863–4872.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmoodi, N. M., Salehi, R., & Arami, M. (2011). Binary system dye removal from colored textile wastewater using activated carbon: Kinetic and isotherm studies. Desalination,272(1–3), 187–195.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Noonpui, S., Thiravetyan, P., Nakbanpote, W., & Netpradit, S. (2010). Color removal from water-based ink wastewater by bagasse fly ash, sawdust fly ash and activated carbon. Chemical Engineering Journal,162(2), 503–508.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ozsoy, H. D., & van Leeuwen, J. H. (2010). Removal of color from fruit candy waste by activated carbon adsorption. Journal of Food Engineering,101(1), 106–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peng, M., Li, H., Li, D., Du, E., & Li, Z. (2017). Characterization of DOM adsorption of CNTs by using excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and multiway analysis. Environmental Technology,38(11), 1351–1361.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Riaño, B., Coca, M., & García-González, M. C. (2014). Evaluation of Fenton method and ozone-based processes for colour and organic matter removal from biologically pre-treated swine manure. Chemosphere,117, 193–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, Y. C., & Upadhyay, S. N. (2009). Removal of a cationic dye from wastewaters by adsorption on activated carbon developed from coconut coir. Energy & Fuels,23(6), 2983–2988.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simonin, J.-P. (2016). On the comparison of pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order rate laws in the modeling of adsorption kinetics. Chemical Engineering Journal,300, 254–263.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, S. K., Townsend, T. G., Mazyck, D., & Boyer, T. H. (2012). Equilibrium and intra-particle diffusion of stabilized landfill leachate onto micro-and meso-porous activated carbon. Water Research,46(2), 491–499.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tak, B.-Y., Tak, B.-S., Kim, Y.-J., Park, Y.-J., Yoon, Y.-H., & Min, G.-H. (2015). Optimization of color and COD removal from livestock wastewater by electrocoagulation process: Application of Box–Behnken design (BBD). Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry,28, 307–315.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao, Y., & Hill, J. M. (2017). Impact of pore size on fenton oxidation of methyl orange adsorbed on magnetic carbon materials: Trade-off between capacity and regenerability. Environmental Science and Technology,51(8), 4567–4575.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye, Z.-L., Deng, Y., Lou, Y., Ye, X., Zhang, J., & Chen, S. (2017). Adsorption behavior of tetracyclines by struvite particles in the process of phosphorus recovery from synthetic swine wastewater. Chemical Engineering Journal,313, 1633–1638.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zare, K., Gupta, V. K., Moradi, O., Makhlouf, A. S. H., Sillanpää, M., Nadagouda, M. N., et al. (2015). A comparative study on the basis of adsorption capacity between CNTs and activated carbon as adsorbents for removal of noxious synthetic dyes: A review. Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry,5(2), 227–236.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, S., Shao, T., Kose, H. S., & Karanfil, T. (2010). Adsorption of aromatic compounds by carbonaceous adsorbents: A comparative study on granular activated carbon, activated carbon fiber, and carbon nanotubes. Environmental Science and Technology,44(16), 6377–6383.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, L., Wang, Y., Jin, S., Lu, Q., & Ji, J. (2017). Adsorption isotherm, kinetic and mechanism of expanded graphite for sulfadiazine antibiotics removal from aqueous solutions. Environmental Technology,38(20), 2629–2638.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, Q., Cabaniss, S. E., & Maurice, P. A. (2000). Considerations in the use of high-pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) for determining molecular weights of aquatic humic substances. Water Research,34(14), 3505–3514.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by National Research Foundation under “Next Generation Carbon Upcycling Project” (Project No. 2017M1A2A2043150) of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Republic of Korea.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea

    Hyojeon Kim, Quoc Cuong Do & Seoktae Kang

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea

    Yeo-Myeong Yun

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan, 31080, Republic of Korea

    Kyeong-Ho Lim

Authors
  1. Hyojeon Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yeo-Myeong Yun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kyeong-Ho Lim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Quoc Cuong Do
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Seoktae Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seoktae Kang.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kim, H., Yun, YM., Lim, KH. et al. Selective removal of color substances by carbon-based adsorbents in livestock wastewater effluents. Environ Geochem Health 42, 1643–1653 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00547-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00547-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation