Studies on removal of NH4+-N from aqueous solution by using the activated carbons derived from rice husk

Water pollution caused by ammonia nitrogen has attracted a great attention as its toxicity affects both the environment and human health. The objective of this paper was to investigate the adsorption behavior of NH4+-N from aqueous solution by activated carbons prepared from rice husk. The physico-chemical properties of the activated carbon were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the NH4+-N adsorption on the rice husk derived carbons was dependent on adsorbent dosage and solution pH. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of NH4+-N by rice husk carbon were also investigated, and good correlation coefficients were obtained for the pseudo-second order kinetic equation. Dubinin-Radushkevitch (D-R) adsorption isotherm model could better describe the adsorption behavior of NH4+-N on the rice husk carbon. Calculated by D-R model, the adsorption course of NH4+-N on the rice husk carbon was favored chemical ion-exchange mechanism. Moreover, the activated carbon adsorbed NH4+-N was highly fertilizer conservation especially for the nitrogen element. It was proposed that the amount of removed NH4+-N from aqueous solutions would increase evidently treated by rice husk carbon if combined with biological method.

► The dosage of rice husk carbon and pH affected the removal of NH4+-N from aqueous solution.
► D-R model could better describe the adsorption behavior of NH4+-N on the rice husk carbon.
► The removing of NH4+-N would be risen by rice husk carbon if combined with biological method.