Adsorption of trichlorophenol on zeolite and adsorbent regeneration with ozone

A FAU-type zeolite was studied as an adsorbent to remove 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), a frequently detected recalcitrant pollutant in water bodies. Both adsorption isotherm and kinetics were studied with TCP concentrations from 10 to 100 mg/L. It was observed that TCP was effectively adsorbed onto the zeolite with a high adsorption capacity and a high kinetic rate. Freundlich model and pseudo-second-order kinetics were successfully applied to describe the experimental data. The influence of solution pH was also studied. Furthermore, ozone was applied to regenerate the loaded zeolite. It was found that an effective adsorption of TCP was kept for at least 8 cycles of adsorption and regeneration. The ozonation also increased the BET specific surface of zeolite by over 60% and consequently enhanced the adsorption capacity.