Effect of solution pH on removal of anionic surfactant sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) from model wastewater using nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI)

Batch experiments for removal of anionic surfactant sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) from model wastewater using nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) were conducted to elucidate mechanisms of SDBS removal by nZVI. To clarify the effects of solution pH on removal of SDBS by nZVI, the concentration profiles of Fe ions and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured besides the concentrations of SDBS and total organic carbon (TOC) at pH of 3, 5, 7 and 9. The SDBS concentration rapidly decreased to less than 4% of the SDBS loadings within 40 min at pH 3, 7 and 9. However, TOC decreases were rather slow and the maximum TOC removal of 62% after 240 min was obtained at pH 7. The XRD patterns confirmed that the main corrosion product was lepidocrocite at pH 5 and 7 while magnetite was dominant at pH 9. The maximum removal of SDBS by nZVI at pH 7 was attributed mainly to the ionic adsorption of anionic SDBS onto the positively charged nZVI surface. The novel kinetic model for dynamic linkage of SDBS removal with concentrations of total eluted iron ions and DO via the formation of iron oxide/hydroxide layer on nZVI surface could simulate the experimental results with the average correlation coefficient of 0.952. The mechanisms of SDBS removal by nZVI at different pH values were clarified and quantified by the proposed kinetic model.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated that nZVI mainly removes SDBS through ionic adsorption of anionic SDBS onto the positively charged nZVI surface, with different mechanisms and removal efficiencies at different pH values.