Adsorptive removal of α-endosulfan from water by hydrophobic zeolites. An isothermal study

► We studied the removal of α-endosulfan from water over HY and steamed HBEA zeolites. ► The adsorption isotherms were modelized by Langmuir model and showed that the pesticide was adsorbed in micropores. ► The adsorption capacity was correlated to the acidity of samples, the hydrophobicity indexes and depended on the type of zeolites. ► The hydrophobic HY(40) sample was the most efficient for the removal of α-endosulfan despite a lower HI value than HBEA samples because of a preferential water adsorption in mesopores and a greater microporous volume than HBEA samples. ► For a given zeolite type it was possible to predict the removal performance of α-endosulfan by determining the HI values.