Evaluation of Commercial Active Carbons for the Removal of s-Triazine Herbicides from Waters

The adsorption capacity of powdered active carbons, used in a water treatment facility, for the removal of the triazine herbicides propazine, prometryn and prometon, was evaluated. Kinetic studies showed that some of the carbon samples used could be suitable in the practice forthe treatment of moderate contents of the herbicides in contaminated waters. Equilibrium studies showed that the data fit the Frumkin isotherm. The results show that in the adsorption process there are repulsive lateral interactions that depend mainly of the adsorbate molecules rather than the nature or distribution of adsorption sites. Such lateral interactions seem to be established mainly between the isopropyl groups of adjacent molecules, being of the same order for the three molecules. The effectiveness of the active carbons was evaluated by determining the percentage of reduction achieved by each product.