Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran.
Abstract
The aim of this research was to separate mercury from gold refining wastewater using activated carbon (AC) from natural shells. To this end, walnut and coconut shells were used as the main source of AC. The characterizations of both ACs were compared by FTIR, BET, and SEM analyses. The FTIR results revealed interactions between the solute and the functional groups on the adsorbent surface. According to the BET results, the mean pore diameter (MPD) of AC from coconut shells (CSAC) was smaller than that derived from walnut shells (WSAC). The specific surface areas for CSAC and WSAC were 1069.1 and 119.6 m2/g, respectively. SEM results revealed that the porous texture of ACs emanates from their cellular structure. This research further studied the impact of operational parameters “adsorbent dose” (0.3-3.8 g/L), “pH” (2-9), and “residence time” (10-120 min) on mercury removal. Under optimal operational conditions, the mercury removal rate reached 97% (for WSAC) and 93% (for CSAC). Kinetic model assessments revealed the highest agreement between the experimental data and the pseudo-first-order (PFO) model. Both adsorbents were regenerable, with their performance (compared to fresh adsorbents) exceeding 90% after each regeneration.
Keywords
Ahmadi Kamarposhti, E., Bahramifar, N., and Ehsani Tilami, S. (2022) ‘Palm leaf ash as a biosorbent for improving the efficiency of the silver removal process,’ Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 9(1), pp. 69-75. doi: https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2021.5631.1183
Albatrni, H. et al. (2024) ‘A green route to the synthesis of highly porous activated carbon from walnut shells for mercury removal,’ Journal of Water Process Engineering, 58, p. 104802. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.104802
Albatrni, H. and Qiblawey, H. (2024) ‘Evaluation of sodium thiosulfate activated carbon for high-performance mercury removal from aqueous solutions,’ Environmental Technology & Innovation, 34, p. 103621. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2024.103621
Bachand, S. M. et al. (2019) ‘Aluminum-and iron-based coagulation for in-situ removal of dissolved organic carbon, disinfection byproducts, mercury and other constituents from agricultural drain water,’ Ecological Engineering, 134, pp. 26-38. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.02.015
Bandaru, N. M. et al. (2013) ‘Enhanced adsorption of mercury ions on thiol derivatized single wall carbon nanotubes,’ Journal of Hazardous Materials, 261, pp. 534-541. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.07.076
Bansal, R. C. and Goyal, M. (2005) Activated carbon adsorption. 1st edn. Boca Raton: CRC press.
Beless, B., Rifai, H. S. and Rodrigues, D. F. (2014) ‘Efficacy of carbonaceous materials for sorbing polychlorinated biphenyls from aqueous solution,’ Environmental Science & Technology, 48(17), pp. 10372-10379. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/es502647n
Budihardjo, M. A. et al. (2021) ‘Mercury removal using modified activated carbon of peat soil and coal in simulated landfill leachate,’ Environmental Technology & Innovation, 24, p. 102022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2021.102022
Cyr, P. J., Suri, R. P. and Helmig, E. D. (2002) ‘A pilot scale evaluation of removal of mercury from pharmaceutical wastewater using granular activated carbon,’ Water Research, 36(19), pp. 4725-4734. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(02)00214-2
Dabrowski, A. et al. (2004) ‘Selective removal of the heavy metal ions from waters and industrial wastewaters by ion-exchange method,’ Chemosphere, 56(2), pp. 91-106. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.03.006
El Gamal, M. et al. (2018) ‘Bio-regeneration of activated carbon: A comprehensive review,’ Separation and Purification Technology, 197, pp. 345-359. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2018.01.015
Fu, F. and Wang, Q. (2011) ‘Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: a review,’ Journal of Environmental Management, 92(3), pp. 407-418. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.11.011
Ghaedi, M. et al. (2015) ‘Application of central composite design for simultaneous removal of methylene blue and Pb2+ ions by walnut wood activated carbon,’ Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 135, pp. 479-490. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2014.06.138
Hadavifar, M. et al. (2016) ‘Removal of mercury (II) and cadmium (II) ions from synthetic wastewater by a newly synthesized amino and thiolated multi-walled carbon nanotubes,’ Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 67, pp. 397-405. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2016.08.029
Haydarpoor, L., SoltaniToolarood, A., and GoliKalanpa, E. (2017) ‘Evaluation of plant growth promoting traits of arsenic resistant bacteria and their effect on morphological properties of Origanum vulgare plant in an arsenic-polluted soil,’ Journal of Sol Biology, 4(2), pp. 135-151. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.22092/sbj.2017.109308 Hossieni, B., Sohrabi, S. and Akhlaghian, F. (2023) ‘Processing date kernels for iron (III) and chromium (VI) adsorption from water,’ Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 10(2), pp.179-187. doi: https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2024.9132.1291
Hou, D. et al. (2013) ‘Distribution characteristics and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd) in water and sediments from Lake Dalinouer, China,’ Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 93, pp. 135-144. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.03.012 Hoveidamanesh, F. et al. (2025) ‘Removal of arsenic from ground water by modified Sabzevar zeolite,’ Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 12(1), pp. 12-18. doi: https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2025.8207.1268
Hu, S.-C. et al. (2018) ‘Characterization and adsorption capacity of potassium permanganate used to modify activated carbon filter media for indoor formaldehyde removal,’ Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25, pp. 28525-28545. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2681-z
Hua, K. et al. (2020) ‘Effective removal of mercury ions in aqueous solutions: A review,’ Current Nanoscience, 16(3), pp. 363-375. doi: https://doi.org/10.2174/1573413715666190112110659
Hugo, R. O. et al. (2024) ‘Production of hydrochar by low-temperature hydrothermal carbonization of residual biomass from cocoa production for mercury adsorption in acidic aqueous solutions,’ Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 10, p. 100938. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2024.100938
Johari, K. et al. (2016) ‘Adsorption enhancement of elemental mercury by various surface modified coconut husk as eco-friendly low-cost adsorbents,’ International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 109, pp. 45-52. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2016.01.004
Larasati, A., Fowler, G. D., and Graham, N. J. (2021) ‘Insights into chemical regeneration of activated carbon for water treatment,’ Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(4), pp. 105555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105555
Li, Q., Liu, T., and Deng, P. (2016) ‘Recovery of mercury and lead from wastewater by sulfide precipitation-flotation,’ Characterization of Minerals, Metals, and Materials, 2015, pp. 667-674. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48191-3_84
Li, Y. et al. (2018) ‘Alkynyl carbon materials as novel and efficient sorbents for the adsorption of mercury (II) from wastewater,’ Journal of Environmental Sciences, 68, pp. 169-176. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2016.12.016
Li, Z., et al. (2020) ‘Adsorption of congo red and methylene blue dyes on an ashitaba waste and a walnut shell-based activated carbon from aqueous solutions: Experiments, characterization and physical interpretations,’ Chemical Engineering Journal, 388, pp. 124263. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.124263
Liu, C. et al. (2018) ‘Mercury adsorption from aqueous solution by regenerated activated carbon produced from depleted mercury-containing catalyst by microwave-assisted decontamination,’ Journal of Cleaner Production, 196, pp. 109-121. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.027
Lu, P.-J. et al. (2011) ‘Chemical regeneration of activated carbon used for dye adsorption,’ Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 42(2), pp. 305-311. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2010.06.001
Marichelvam, M., and Azhagurajan, A. (2018) ‘Removal of mercury from effluent solution by using banana corm and neem leaves activated charcoal,’ Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 10, pp. 360-365. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2018.08.005
Ning, P. et al. (2018) ‘Adsorption-oxidation of hydrogen sulfide on Fe/walnut-shell activated carbon surface modified by NH3-plasma,’ Journal of Environmental Sciences, 64, pp. 216-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2017.06.017
Pettit, T., Irga, P., and Torpy, F. (2018) ‘Functional green wall development for increasing air pollutant phytoremediation: Substrate development with coconut coir and activated carbon,’ Journal of Hazardous Materials, 360, pp. 594-603. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.08.048
Rajkumar, M. et al. (2010) ‘Potential of siderophore-producing bacteria for improving heavy metal phytoextraction,’ Trends in Biotechnology, 28(3), pp. 142-149. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2009.12.002
Ramírez-Rodríguez, L. C. et al. (2023) ‘Comparison of adsorption performance of nanocomposite materials of whey protein nanofibrils, polycaprolactone and activated carbon for mercury removal,’ Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 20, pp. 100826. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2023.100826
Sajjadi, S.-A. et al. (2018) ‘Efficient mercury removal from wastewater by pistachio wood wastes-derived activated carbon prepared by chemical activation using a novel activating agent,’ Journal of Environmental Management, 223, pp. 1001-1009. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.06.077
Saleh, T. A., Sarý, A., and Tuzen, M. (2017) ‘Optimization of parameters with experimental design for the adsorption of mercury using polyethylenimine modified-activated carbon,’ Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 5(1), pp. 1079-1088. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2017.01.032
Sebastián, D. et al. (2012) ‘Enhanced oxygen reduction activity and durability of Pt catalysts supported on carbon nanofibers,’ Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 115, pp. 269-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2011.12.041
Albatrni, H. et al. (2024) ‘A green route to the synthesis of highly porous activated carbon from walnut shells for mercury removal,’ Journal of Water Process Engineering, 58, p. 104802. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.104802
Albatrni, H. and Qiblawey, H. (2024) ‘Evaluation of sodium thiosulfate activated carbon for high-performance mercury removal from aqueous solutions,’ Environmental Technology & Innovation, 34, p. 103621. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2024.103621
Bachand, S. M. et al. (2019) ‘Aluminum-and iron-based coagulation for in-situ removal of dissolved organic carbon, disinfection byproducts, mercury and other constituents from agricultural drain water,’ Ecological Engineering, 134, pp. 26-38. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.02.015
Bandaru, N. M. et al. (2013) ‘Enhanced adsorption of mercury ions on thiol derivatized single wall carbon nanotubes,’ Journal of Hazardous Materials, 261, pp. 534-541. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.07.076
Bansal, R. C. and Goyal, M. (2005) Activated carbon adsorption. 1st edn. Boca Raton: CRC press.
Beless, B., Rifai, H. S. and Rodrigues, D. F. (2014) ‘Efficacy of carbonaceous materials for sorbing polychlorinated biphenyls from aqueous solution,’ Environmental Science & Technology, 48(17), pp. 10372-10379. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/es502647n
Budihardjo, M. A. et al. (2021) ‘Mercury removal using modified activated carbon of peat soil and coal in simulated landfill leachate,’ Environmental Technology & Innovation, 24, p. 102022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2021.102022
Cyr, P. J., Suri, R. P. and Helmig, E. D. (2002) ‘A pilot scale evaluation of removal of mercury from pharmaceutical wastewater using granular activated carbon,’ Water Research, 36(19), pp. 4725-4734. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(02)00214-2
Dabrowski, A. et al. (2004) ‘Selective removal of the heavy metal ions from waters and industrial wastewaters by ion-exchange method,’ Chemosphere, 56(2), pp. 91-106. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.03.006
El Gamal, M. et al. (2018) ‘Bio-regeneration of activated carbon: A comprehensive review,’ Separation and Purification Technology, 197, pp. 345-359. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2018.01.015
Fu, F. and Wang, Q. (2011) ‘Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: a review,’ Journal of Environmental Management, 92(3), pp. 407-418. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.11.011
Ghaedi, M. et al. (2015) ‘Application of central composite design for simultaneous removal of methylene blue and Pb2+ ions by walnut wood activated carbon,’ Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 135, pp. 479-490. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2014.06.138
Hadavifar, M. et al. (2016) ‘Removal of mercury (II) and cadmium (II) ions from synthetic wastewater by a newly synthesized amino and thiolated multi-walled carbon nanotubes,’ Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 67, pp. 397-405. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2016.08.029
Haydarpoor, L., SoltaniToolarood, A., and GoliKalanpa, E. (2017) ‘Evaluation of plant growth promoting traits of arsenic resistant bacteria and their effect on morphological properties of Origanum vulgare plant in an arsenic-polluted soil,’ Journal of Sol Biology, 4(2), pp. 135-151. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.22092/sbj.2017.109308 Hossieni, B., Sohrabi, S. and Akhlaghian, F. (2023) ‘Processing date kernels for iron (III) and chromium (VI) adsorption from water,’ Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 10(2), pp.179-187. doi: https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2024.9132.1291
Hou, D. et al. (2013) ‘Distribution characteristics and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd) in water and sediments from Lake Dalinouer, China,’ Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 93, pp. 135-144. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.03.012 Hoveidamanesh, F. et al. (2025) ‘Removal of arsenic from ground water by modified Sabzevar zeolite,’ Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 12(1), pp. 12-18. doi: https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2025.8207.1268
Hu, S.-C. et al. (2018) ‘Characterization and adsorption capacity of potassium permanganate used to modify activated carbon filter media for indoor formaldehyde removal,’ Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25, pp. 28525-28545. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2681-z
Hua, K. et al. (2020) ‘Effective removal of mercury ions in aqueous solutions: A review,’ Current Nanoscience, 16(3), pp. 363-375. doi: https://doi.org/10.2174/1573413715666190112110659
Hugo, R. O. et al. (2024) ‘Production of hydrochar by low-temperature hydrothermal carbonization of residual biomass from cocoa production for mercury adsorption in acidic aqueous solutions,’ Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 10, p. 100938. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2024.100938
Johari, K. et al. (2016) ‘Adsorption enhancement of elemental mercury by various surface modified coconut husk as eco-friendly low-cost adsorbents,’ International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 109, pp. 45-52. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2016.01.004
Larasati, A., Fowler, G. D., and Graham, N. J. (2021) ‘Insights into chemical regeneration of activated carbon for water treatment,’ Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(4), pp. 105555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105555
Li, Q., Liu, T., and Deng, P. (2016) ‘Recovery of mercury and lead from wastewater by sulfide precipitation-flotation,’ Characterization of Minerals, Metals, and Materials, 2015, pp. 667-674. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48191-3_84
Li, Y. et al. (2018) ‘Alkynyl carbon materials as novel and efficient sorbents for the adsorption of mercury (II) from wastewater,’ Journal of Environmental Sciences, 68, pp. 169-176. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2016.12.016
Li, Z., et al. (2020) ‘Adsorption of congo red and methylene blue dyes on an ashitaba waste and a walnut shell-based activated carbon from aqueous solutions: Experiments, characterization and physical interpretations,’ Chemical Engineering Journal, 388, pp. 124263. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.124263
Liu, C. et al. (2018) ‘Mercury adsorption from aqueous solution by regenerated activated carbon produced from depleted mercury-containing catalyst by microwave-assisted decontamination,’ Journal of Cleaner Production, 196, pp. 109-121. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.027
Lu, P.-J. et al. (2011) ‘Chemical regeneration of activated carbon used for dye adsorption,’ Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 42(2), pp. 305-311. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2010.06.001
Marichelvam, M., and Azhagurajan, A. (2018) ‘Removal of mercury from effluent solution by using banana corm and neem leaves activated charcoal,’ Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 10, pp. 360-365. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2018.08.005
Ning, P. et al. (2018) ‘Adsorption-oxidation of hydrogen sulfide on Fe/walnut-shell activated carbon surface modified by NH3-plasma,’ Journal of Environmental Sciences, 64, pp. 216-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2017.06.017
Pettit, T., Irga, P., and Torpy, F. (2018) ‘Functional green wall development for increasing air pollutant phytoremediation: Substrate development with coconut coir and activated carbon,’ Journal of Hazardous Materials, 360, pp. 594-603. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.08.048
Rajkumar, M. et al. (2010) ‘Potential of siderophore-producing bacteria for improving heavy metal phytoextraction,’ Trends in Biotechnology, 28(3), pp. 142-149. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2009.12.002
Ramírez-Rodríguez, L. C. et al. (2023) ‘Comparison of adsorption performance of nanocomposite materials of whey protein nanofibrils, polycaprolactone and activated carbon for mercury removal,’ Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 20, pp. 100826. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2023.100826
Sajjadi, S.-A. et al. (2018) ‘Efficient mercury removal from wastewater by pistachio wood wastes-derived activated carbon prepared by chemical activation using a novel activating agent,’ Journal of Environmental Management, 223, pp. 1001-1009. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.06.077
Saleh, T. A., Sarý, A., and Tuzen, M. (2017) ‘Optimization of parameters with experimental design for the adsorption of mercury using polyethylenimine modified-activated carbon,’ Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 5(1), pp. 1079-1088. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2017.01.032
Sebastián, D. et al. (2012) ‘Enhanced oxygen reduction activity and durability of Pt catalysts supported on carbon nanofibers,’ Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 115, pp. 269-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2011.12.041
Wang, J., and Guo, X. (2020) ‘Adsorption kinetic models: Physical meanings, applications, and solving methods,’ Journal of Hazardous Materials, 390, pp. 122156. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122156
Xia, M. et al. (2019) ‘Removal of Hg (II) in aqueous solutions through physical and chemical adsorption principles,’ RSC Advances, 9(36), pp. 20941-20953. doi: https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ra01924c
Yang, Y. et al. (2021) ‘Reaction mechanism of elemental mercury oxidation to HgSO4 during SO2/SO3 conversion over V2O5/TiO2 catalyst,’ Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 38(3), pp. 4317-4325. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2020.10.007
Yu, Q. et al. (2019) ‘Characterization of metal oxide-modified walnut-shell activated carbon and its application for phosphine adsorption: equilibrium, regeneration, and mechanism studies,’ Journal Wuhan University of Technology, Materials Science Edition, 34, pp. 487-495. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-019-2078-y Zarei, M. et al. (2022) ‘Removal of lead and cadmium with an optimized composite of expanded graphite/g-C3N4/phenylenediamine,’ Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 9(2), pp. 154-166. doi: https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2023.8253.1269
Zhang, B. et al. (2014) ‘Synthesizing nitrogen-doped activated carbon and probing its active sites for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells,’ ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 6(10), pp. 7464-7470. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/am5008547
Zhang, C. et al. (2019) ‘Adsorption behavior of engineered carbons and carbon nanomaterials for metal endocrine disruptors: experiments and theoretical calculation,’ Chemosphere, 222, pp. 184-194. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.01.128
Zhang, D., Yin, Y. and Liu, J. (2017) ‘Removal of Hg2+ and methylmercury in waters by functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes: adsorption behavior and the impacts of some environmentally relevant factors,’ Chemical Speciation & Bioavailability, 29(1), pp. 161-169. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09542299.2017.1378596
Zhang, F.-S., Nriagu, J. O. and Itoh, H. (2005) ‘Mercury removal from water using activated carbons derived from organic sewage sludge,’ Water Research, 39(2-3), pp. 389-395. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2004.09.027
Zhang, Q. et al. (2018) ‘A facile method to prepare dual-functional membrane for efficient oil removal and in situ reversible mercury ions adsorption from wastewater,’ Applied Surface Science, 434, pp. 57-62. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.09.230
Zhu, Q., Moggridge, G. D. and D’Agostino, C. (2016) ‘Adsorption of pyridine from aqueous solutions by polymeric adsorbents MN 200 and MN 500. Part 2: Kinetics and diffusion analysis,’ Chemical Engineering Journal, 306, pp. 1223-1233. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2016.07.087
Xia, M. et al. (2019) ‘Removal of Hg (II) in aqueous solutions through physical and chemical adsorption principles,’ RSC Advances, 9(36), pp. 20941-20953. doi: https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ra01924c
Yang, Y. et al. (2021) ‘Reaction mechanism of elemental mercury oxidation to HgSO4 during SO2/SO3 conversion over V2O5/TiO2 catalyst,’ Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 38(3), pp. 4317-4325. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2020.10.007
Yu, Q. et al. (2019) ‘Characterization of metal oxide-modified walnut-shell activated carbon and its application for phosphine adsorption: equilibrium, regeneration, and mechanism studies,’ Journal Wuhan University of Technology, Materials Science Edition, 34, pp. 487-495. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-019-2078-y Zarei, M. et al. (2022) ‘Removal of lead and cadmium with an optimized composite of expanded graphite/g-C3N4/phenylenediamine,’ Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 9(2), pp. 154-166. doi: https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2023.8253.1269
Zhang, B. et al. (2014) ‘Synthesizing nitrogen-doped activated carbon and probing its active sites for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells,’ ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 6(10), pp. 7464-7470. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/am5008547
Zhang, C. et al. (2019) ‘Adsorption behavior of engineered carbons and carbon nanomaterials for metal endocrine disruptors: experiments and theoretical calculation,’ Chemosphere, 222, pp. 184-194. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.01.128
Zhang, D., Yin, Y. and Liu, J. (2017) ‘Removal of Hg2+ and methylmercury in waters by functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes: adsorption behavior and the impacts of some environmentally relevant factors,’ Chemical Speciation & Bioavailability, 29(1), pp. 161-169. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09542299.2017.1378596
Zhang, F.-S., Nriagu, J. O. and Itoh, H. (2005) ‘Mercury removal from water using activated carbons derived from organic sewage sludge,’ Water Research, 39(2-3), pp. 389-395. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2004.09.027
Zhang, Q. et al. (2018) ‘A facile method to prepare dual-functional membrane for efficient oil removal and in situ reversible mercury ions adsorption from wastewater,’ Applied Surface Science, 434, pp. 57-62. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.09.230
Zhu, Q., Moggridge, G. D. and D’Agostino, C. (2016) ‘Adsorption of pyridine from aqueous solutions by polymeric adsorbents MN 200 and MN 500. Part 2: Kinetics and diffusion analysis,’ Chemical Engineering Journal, 306, pp. 1223-1233. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2016.07.087
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