Organo/LDH nanocomposite as an adsorbent of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and soil–water systems

[Display omitted] ► Organo/LDH with dodecylsulfate as interlayer anion (HT-DDS) was synthesized. ► HT-DDS was a good adsorbent to remove six PAHs from contaminated water. ► HT-DDS was efficient in immobilizing PAHs in soil. ► HT-DDS can be useful in PAH pollution prevention and remediation strategies. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered as priority pollutants because of their high risk to human health. In this paper, we addressed the issue of using hydrotalcite-based nanocomposites as adsorbents of six low molecular weight PAHs (acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene) to reduce their negative effects on the environment. A nanocomposite (HT-DDS) was prepared by intercalating the organic anion dodecylsulfate (DDS) in a Mg–Al hydrotalcite (HT), and then characterized using several analytical techniques. A Mediterranean soil was selected for being a high-risk scenario of groundwater contamination by leaching of pollutants. The nanocomposite displayed enhanced affinity for the PAHs in water as compared to carbonate-hydrotalcite (HTCO3) and its calcined product (HT500), and showed a high irreversibility of the adsorption process (hysteresis coefficient, H