Cleaner Approach for Atrazine Removal Using Recycling Biowaste/Waste in Permeable Barriers

Abstract

This work addresses the rehabilitation of water contaminated with atrazine, entrapping it in a permeable and sustainable barrier designed with waste materials (sepiolite) and with biomaterials (cork and pine bark). Atrazine adsorption was assessed by kinetics and equilibrium assays and desorption was tested with different extraction solvents. Adsorbed atrazine was 100% recovered from sepiolite using 20% acetonitrile solution, while 40% acetonitrile was needed to leach it from cork (98%) and pine bark (94%). Continuous fixed-bed experiments using those sorbents as PRB were performed to evaluate atrazine removal for up-scale applications. The modified dose-response model properly described the breakthrough data. The highest adsorption capacity was achieved by sepiolite (23.3 (±0.8) mg/g), followed by pine bark (14.8 (±0.6) mg/g) and cork (13.0 (±0.9) mg/g). Recyclability of sorbents was evaluated by adsorption-desorption cycles. After two regenerations, sepiolite achieved 81% of atrazine removal, followed by pine with 78% and cork with 54%. Sepiolite had the best performance in terms of adsorption capacity/stability. SEM and FTIR analyses confirmed no significant differences in material morphology and structure. This study demonstrates that recycling waste/biowaste is a sustainable option for wastewater treatment, with waste valorization and environmental protection.

Investigation of the Removal of Several Micropollutants Presenting Different Ozone Reactivities from Natural Potable Water Matrix by the Application of Ozonation with the Use of SiO2 and Al2O3 as Catalysts

“…Atrazine at pH 7.8 is neutrally charged [39], whereas the surface of silica is mostly occupied by silanol groups. This suggests that atrazine is mainly physisorbed to the silanol groups and/or surface water.…”

Reusing Waste to Save Our Water: Regenerable Bioadsorbents for Effective Oil Sequestration

“…In the context of bioadsorbents, their exhaustion necessitates regeneration, a process pivotal for both renewed adsorption cycles and safe disposal. This restorative procedure not only renders the material reusable but also seeks to reinstate its original porous structure, ideally with minimal damage [55,56].…”

Performance of a Combined Bacteria/Zeolite Permeable Barrier on the Rehabilitation of Wastewater Containing Atrazine and Heavy Metals

“…The development of alternative treatment technologies has been rising, with particularly emphasis on biological and eco-friendly strategies [9]. The use of adsorbents such as clays and zeolites has been reported as a low-cost and effective alternative for the removal of several types of contaminants [10][11][12][13][14]. Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates with three-dimensional framework structures with high adsorption capacities and high internal and external surface areas.…”