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Application of adsorbent
as a novel technique during biodegradation of a polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbon (anthracene)
C. N. Owabor and E. O. Aluyor*
Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City,
Edo State, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
eoaluyor@yahoo.com.
Tel: +2348023350667, +2348055657745.
Accepted
11 August, 2008 |
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The use of an alternative technique as a management strategy
for the decontamination of hydrocarbon-based pollution in
soil has been advanced in this work. The study investigated
the degradation of anthracene, a three-ringed benzene
derivative, in clay soil at ambient conditions under the
influence of hydrophilic compound (carbon), thermally
activated at temperatures of 300, 500, 700 and 900oC.
The soil (500 g) was impacted with 1:1 of the contaminant
anthracene and activated carbon from groundnut shell in a
water medium at a flow rate of 5.0 ml/min. Experimental
results revealed that there was a significant reduction in
the level of anthracene in the soil matrix with time. The
percentage reduction was found to be directly dependent on
the activation temperature. The estimated reaction rate
constant was found to be 0.014/h (control sample without
activated carbon) while for the experimental samples, the
values ranged from 0.018 - 0.051/h. The study therefore
affirms that the presence of activated carbon in microbial
degradation of anthracene, elicits an enhanced disappearance
rate of the hydrocarbon.
Key
words:
Anthracene, management strategy, activated carbon, groundnut
shell, microbial degradation. |
