Benzene Contaminant Removal from Hydraulic Fracking Water Using Marine Macroalgae Biosorbent: Kinetic and Thermodynamic Study

• Published in: Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A Vol. 98; no. 5; pp. 1076 - 1090
• Main Authors: Al-Msiedeen, Ashraf M., Alsagarat, Musab W., Al-Nawaiseh, Ali, Jamhour, Rasheed M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.05.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adsorption; Algae; Aqueous solutions; Benzene; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Contaminants; Effectiveness; Enthalpy; Gibbs free energy; Hydraulic fracturing; Hydrocarbons; Parameter modification; Physical Chemistry; Physical Chemistry of Dispersed Systems and Surface Phenomena; Sorbents; Thermodynamics; Waste materials; Water pollution; hydraulic fracking water; adsorption; biosorbent; macroalgae; benzene; isotherm and kinetic model
• ISSN: 0036-0244; 1531-863X
• DOI: 10.1134/S0036024424050042

The removal of benzene contaminants from synthetic hydraulic fracking water was studied using dried marine macroalgae (ALG) and dodecyl sulphate surfactant-modified marine macroalgae (ALG-SDS). The study assessed the influence of key parameters, including initial benzene concentration, dose of sorbents, contact time, pH, temperature and ionic strength of the fracking solution. The obtained results highlighted the significance of all these factors in the removal process. After thorough experimentation, the optimal conditions for effective removal were determined to be a pH of 5, ALG and ALG-SDS doses of 0.5 g (100 mL volume of solution), an initial benzene concentration of 50 ppm, and a contact time of 90 min. At these optimal conditions, the maximum benzene uptake capacities ( q e ) were found to be 81 and 85 mg/g for ALG and ALG-SDS, respectively. The removing benzene was effectively described by the pseudo-second-order model, and the Langmuir isotherm model provided a satisfactory fit for the adsorption process. The calculated thermodynamic parameters, including Δ G ° (Gibbs free energy change), Δ H ° (enthalpy change), and Δ S ° (entropy change), indicated that the adsorption of benzene was not only feasible but also spontaneous and exothermic within the temperature range of 283 to 303 K. The structures and morphology were investigated by FTIR, SEM, and BET. Furthermore, regeneration studies were conducted to assess the reusability of the sorbents. The outcomes of this study underscore the effectiveness of employing cost-effective and environmentally friendly waste materials as a viable option for adsorption processes and the remediation of contaminated water. This suggests that utilizing such waste materials holds promise as a sustainable solution for addressing water pollution concerns. This indicated that the sorption process was efficient and suitable for the removal of benzene from the aqueous solution.