Removal of Bisphenol A Using Multi- Walled Carbon Nanotubes From Aqueous Solution

Background Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds are emerging group of trace contaminants detected in wastewater and water resources worldwide. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the compounds that can cause serious health problems.
Materials and Methods In this study, the removal of BPA from aqueous solutions by multi-walled carbon nanotubes was investigated. Experiments were performed in batch reactor and changing effective factors such as pH, contact time, concentration of carbon nanotubes, and concentration of BPA. The concentrations of BPA were measured using UV-VIS spectrophotometer at wavelength of 280 nm.
Results The results showed that maximum removal efficiency was 95% at a concentration of 400 mg/L of carbon nanotubes, pH=7, retention time of 60 minutes and BPA concentration of 20 mg/L. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 111.6 mg/g and the adsorption data were best fitted to the Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-second order.
Conclusion The results showed that carbon nanotubes have a high ability to adsorb BPA in the aquatic environment and can be used as a suitable adsorbent from aqueous solution.