Green process for adsorptive removal of ethion (O,O,O′,O′-tetraethyl S,S′-methylene bis(phosphorodithioate) from agricultural wastewater using modified surface of orange peel and apricot kernel

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Applied Organic Chemistry Department, National Research Centre, 33 EL Bohouth st., Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

2 Applied Organic Chem., Pesticides, NRC

Abstract

Smart absorber with engineered surface, low cost price becomes utmost importance for application in water treatment. Pesticide represents the fatal problem in water contamination due to large quantity misused by the farmers. Ethion is a common contaminated insecticide found in wastewater, so it is really important for removal of ethion from contaminant water. Here, the adsorption characteristics of ethion and its degradation products were studied using modified and functionalized low cost adsorbent. The modified agricultural wastes [orange peels (OP) and the outer crust of apricot kernel (AK)] were characterized and analyzed. Physical and chemical depositions of ethion residues on the surface of absorbers (OP and AK) were utilized.Theoretical calculations/modelling on surfaces of OP and AK were studied using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model. The results show that the removal efficiency of ethion increased when the pH of adsorption system increased then decreased at pH greater than 7. The using of different adsorbent doses found that the 95.5 % ethion removal was achieved when 16.5 g/L of the outer crust of apricot kernel. The kinetic model shows that the ethion uptake with the orange peels and apricot kernel adsorbents is a pseudo-second order adsorption.

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