Dibutyl phthalate adsorption characteristics using three common substrates in aqueous solutions

Highlights

• DBP adsorption was tested using three kinds of substrates in constructed wetlands.

• The DBP adsorption capacity followed the order: steel slag>gravel>shell sand.

• High temperatures increased the DBP adsorption capacity in the substrates.

• DOM consistently inhibited the DBP adsorption onto steel slag and gravel.

Abstract

In recent years, the presence and adverse impacts of phthalic acid esters in aquatic environments have gained increasing attention. This work investigated the adsorption behavior of a typical phthalic acid ester, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), onto steel slag, gravel, and shell sand (substrates commonly used in constructed wetlands). The influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on DBP adsorption was investigated using humic acid as a proxy for DOM. The results demonstrated that the adsorption of DBP to three substrates reached equilibrium within 96 h, and the adsorption kinetics were well fitted by a pseudo-second-order model. The DBP adsorption isotherms were best fitted by the Langmuir adsorption model. The DBP adsorption capacity decreased in the order of steel slag>gravel>shell sand, with values of 656 mg/kg, 598 mg/kg, and 6.62 mg/kg at 25°C, respectively. DBP adsorbed to the surface of all substrates in a monolayer via an endothermic process. The DBP adsorption capacities of steel slag and gravel decreased as the DOM content increased. The DBP adsorption mechanisms to steel slag and gravel mainly involved the surface coordination of DBP with –OH or –COOH groups and electrostatic interactions. The results of this work suggest that steel slag and gravel may be ideal substrates for use in constructed wetlands to treat wastewater polluted with DBP.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Adsorption / Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) / Dissolved organic matter / Substrates

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Zhejiang Provincial Key R&D Program (2019C03110) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51578538).

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-019-1205-5 and is accessible for authorized users.

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