A single-solute adsorption has reported in the literature, however, where multiple contaminants containing both heavy metals and organic contaminants may coexist in the environment. In this study, competitive adsorption of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (TEX) and heavy metals on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. The results indicated that heavy metal ions Pb2+ evidently diminished the adsorption of TEX onto MWCNTs-3.2%O. Pb2+ decreased adsorption onto MWCNTs-3.2%O by 66.2, 50.2, 53.2, 54.6 and 52.8% for toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, m- xylene and o- xylene by the expression as (Kd2- Kd1)/ Kd1, where Kd2 and Kd1 correspond to the distribution coefficients of TEX with and without heavy metals, respectively. The competition was much weaker in the effect of TEX onto Cu2+ and Pb2+ adsorption. TEX only deceased 15.8% of Cu2+ ions adsorption at initial concentration of 52.4mg/L by the same expression.

Competitive adsorption of toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers and heavy metal onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes in multisolute system

244th National Meeting (2012)

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