Nitrate Removal from Contaminated Waters by Using Anion Exchanger Phragmites Australis Nanoparticles

The efficiency of modified Phragmites australis nanoparticles for nitrate removal from aqueous solution in batch and continuous conditions was studied. The effect of different operating conditions such as pH, the amount of adsorbent, and initial nitrate concentration were surveyed. Our results showed that, pH 6 could provide better condition for nitrate removal. The increase in the nitrate concentration from 5 to 120mg L-1 reduced the efficiency from 90% to 67%. Kinetics and isotherm data revealed that the nitrate adsorption successfully can be described by pseudo-second order kinetic model (R2 =1) and Longmuir isotherm (R2 =0.99), respectively. At the continuous-flow mode, column were operated at 0.98 L hr-1 and 2.27 L hr-1 with initial nitrate concentration of 15, 50 and 120 mg L-1. At the above mentioned conditions, the adsorption capacities were 13.4, 28.5 and 36.5 mg g -1 at 0.98 L hr-1 and 25.2, 60.9 and 74.3 mg g-1 at 2.27 L hr-1, respectively.