Fluometuron Removal from Agricultural Wastewater in Porous Media Filters

Abstract

In the present study, six gravity filters were constructed and evaluated for the treatment of agricultural wastewater contaminated with herbicide fluometuron. Two filter types in terms of feeding strategy (i.e., batch and continuous feeding strategies), three porous media (i.e., coarse gravel, coarse zeolite and fine zeolite) and three hydraulic residence times (i.e., 1 day, 2 days and 4 days) were evaluated to find the best design and operation parameter in fluometuron removal by adsorption on porous media. Batch experiments were also conducted and the experimental data were fitted to adsorption kinetic and isotherm models. Results showed that the experimental data fitted better to the pseudo-first order model and to the Freundlich model, and the highest fluometuron adsorption was recorded for fine zeolite. The results of filter operation indicated that the most important parameter affecting fluometuron removal is the hydraulic residence time.