Colloids Interfaces 2017, 1(1), 2; doi:10.3390/colloids1010002
Decontamination of Uranium-Polluted Groundwater by Chemically-Enhanced, Sawdust-Activated Carbon
Mahmoud O. Abd El-Magied 1,*
, Tarek F. Mohammaden 1, Ibrahim K. El-Aassy 1, Hamdi M. H. Gad 2, Ali M. Hassan 3 and Mohamed A. Mahmoud 1
, Tarek F. Mohammaden 1, Ibrahim K. El-Aassy 1, Hamdi M. H. Gad 2, Ali M. Hassan 3 and Mohamed A. Mahmoud 11
Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530, El Maadi, Cairo 11936, Egypt
2
Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo 11787, Egypt
3
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 21 September 2017 / Revised: 11 October 2017 / Accepted: 11 October 2017 / Published: 14 October 2017
Abstract
The preparation of highly efficient and low-cost activated carbon from sawdust was achieved for the treatment of uranium-contaminated groundwater. The adsorption properties of the synthesized activated carbon, as well as their ability to be reused, were assessed. The obtained results demonstrated that sawdust activated carbon (SDAC) and its amine form (SDACA) had high affinity towards uranium ions at pH values of 4.5 and 5 for SDAC and SDACA, respectively. The experimental results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity of uranium was 57.34 and 76.7 mg/g for SDAC and SDACA, respectively. A maximum removal efficiency of 89.72% by SDAC and 99.55% by SDACA were obtained at a solid/liquid ratio of 8 mg/mL. The removal mechanism of uranium by SDAC and SDACA was suggested due to interaction with the amine and carboxylic groups. The validation of the method was verified through uranium separation from synthetic as well as from groundwater collected from water wells in the Wadi Naseib area, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt. View Full-TextKeywords:
sawdust; activated carbon; uranium; groundwater; adsorption
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El-Magied, M.O.A.; Mohammaden, T.F.; El-Aassy, I.K.; Gad, H.M.H.; Hassan, A.M.; Mahmoud, M.A. Decontamination of Uranium-Polluted Groundwater by Chemically-Enhanced, Sawdust-Activated Carbon. Colloids Interfaces 2017, 1, 2.
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Colloids Interfaces
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