Characterizations of activated carbons and groundwater organic matter adsorption

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is abundant in groundwater in Tunisia. In this study, the organic matter from groundwater was examined using elemental analysis, fluorescence and FTIR spectroscopies. In addition, total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and UV-absorbance at wavelength 254 nm (UV254) were measured. Elemental analysis indicated that groundwater contained a high amount of oxygen but a low amount of carbon. FTIR analyses revealed that polysaccharides were the main compounds present in the groundwater. The removal of DOM was studied by adsorbing activated carbon-supported aluminum. The characterization of DOM and activated carbon after adsorption confirms the removal of organic matter. The decrease in the BET surface of adsorbent after adsorption confirms that the pores are occupied by organic matter. TOC was removed by adsorption, and activated carbon-supported aluminum was superior (∼80%) to raw-activated carbon (∼52%), and may be explored to remove contaminants from wastewater.