Fate and transport with material response characterization of green sorption media for copper removal via adsorption process

Green adsorption media with the inclusion of renewable and recycled materials can be applied as a stormwater best management practice for copper removal. A green adsorption media mixture composed of recycled tire chunk, expanded clay aggregate, and coconut coir was physicochemically evaluated for its potential use in an upflow media filter. A suite of tests were conducted on the media mixture and the individual media components including studies of particle size distribution, isotherms, column adsorption and reaction kinetics. Isotherm test results revealed that the coconut coir had the highest affinity for copper (qmax = 71.1 mg g−1), and that adsorption was maximized at a pH of 7.0. The coconut coir also performed the best under dynamic conditions, having an equilibrium uptake of 1.63 mg g−1. FE-SEM imaging found a strong correlation between the porosity of the micro pore structure and the adsorptive capacity. The use of the green adsorption media mixture in isolation or the coconut coir with an expanded clay filtration chamber could be an effective and reliable stormwater best management practice for copper removal.