Highly efficient removal of MTBE using natural nanoporous adsorbents

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), an underground water contaminant, has the potential to cause serious health and environmental issues, necessitating its removal before any use of the water. This research investigated the adsorption behavior of MTBE on natural nanoporous adsorbents, namely bentonite clay and clinoptilolite, using an experimental batch system. The optimum conditions for removing MTBE from water were determined by investigating the impact of adsorption parameters, such as the solution pH, temperature, time, MTBE concentration, and the dosage of bentonite clay and clinoptilolite. The removal efficiency of bentonite and clinoptilolite was found to be 98.09% and 97.44%, respectively, with adsorption capacity values of 2220 and 2002.159 mgg −1 , respectively. The experimental results were accurately modeled by utilizing the pseudo-second-order equation and the Langmuir model for adsorption kinetics and isotherms, respectively. The thermodynamic analysis, including determination of the change in free energy, enthalpy and entropy under standard condition, indicated an exothermic and spontaneous adsorption process for MTBE utilizing the natural nanoporous adsorbents. At the end, the results demonstrated that both bentonite and clinoptilolite are effective natural adsorbents for removing MTBE from aquatic environments.