Investigation of application of nano-alumina as an adsorbent to remove DDT

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) foul aquatic ecosystems. The remediation of these contaminants is essential to promote public health, environmental quality, and the economy. To solve this problem, the efficiency of nanomaterial adsorption capacity was applied in this study to find the best way to decrease the amount of these risky materials in the environment. Low amount of nano-alumina (<10 g) has been used in this research which is much less than previous techniques where of nanoparticle was used and effect of small amount of nano-alumina on several soil properties such pH, Plastic index and CEC was investigated. In comparison with popular bioremediation method, this method is easier to use in the field, due to its shorter process which saves time and reduces cost. Experiments were conducted using batch adsorption procedures at different DDT concentrations, from10 to 60 mg/L. The amounts of nano-alumina were 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0, 2.0 and 10% of mass of soil. The adsorption of DDT solution onto the nano-alumina was also characterized by initial rapid adsorption, which gradually became constant within 16 hours. Results of this study indicated nano-alumina adsorbed up to 70% of DDT. Result show that the effect of nano-alumina on soil properties is very minor effect.