Feasibility study of granular activated carbon for removing MTBE from water
颗粒活性炭去除水中甲基叔丁基醚的可行性研究

Because of the increasing consumption of methyl-tert-butyl ether(MTBE) as a major gasoline additive,it has become a common groundwater contaminant.Many series of batch adsorption equilibrium capacity experiments and continuous flow breakthrough experiments,employing the efficient micro column rapid breakthrough(MCRB) method,were conducted to compare effectiveness of 5 granular activated carbons(GACs) in removing MTBE in pure water,tap water and groundwater.The carbons’ MTBE capacities were in the same order as their phenol numbers.The micro pore rich coconut GAC exhibited higher capacities than others;however,its capacity utilization rate was the lowest consistent with its lowest tannic acid number.The GACs’ capacities for MTBE were notably reduced by the naturally occurring organic compounds present in the sample solutions;the reduction was more notable for MTBE in tap water than in the higher TOC well water sample.The breakthrough data confirmed the GAC’s relative capacities for MTBE and that two serial adsorbers treatment as the most cost effective process scheme to produce a high quality effluent.The study has established the feasibility of employing the environmental friendly bamboo GAC,as the most cost effective type of GAC,for removing MTBE from contaminated groundwater.