Adsorption Characteristics of As ( V ) onto Cationic Surfactant - Modified Activated Carbon

Arsenic at abandoned mine sites has adversely affected human health in Korea. In this study, the feasibility of using cationic surfactant-modified activated carbon (MAC) to remove As(V) was evaluated in terms of adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, and column experiments. The adsorption of As(V) onto MAC was satisfactorily simulated by the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and Langmuir isotherm model. In column experiments, the breakthrough point of AC was 28 bed volumes (BV), while that of MAC increased to 300 BV. The modification of AC using cationic surfactant increased the sorption rate and sorption capacity with regard to As(V). As a result, MAC is a promising adsorbent for treating As(V) in aqueous streams.