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Kinetics and mechanisms of enhanced ammonia abatement under synchronous process of electrochemistry and adsorption

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Abstract

As a kind of common nitrogen pollutants, ammonia seriously pollutes water and soil environments and threatens human health. The treatment of water contaminated with ammonia was carried out in an electrochemical-adsorption system (ECAS). This paper discusses the capacity, kinetics, and mechanism of ammonia electrosorption, which is accurately described by a pseudo-first-order model, indicating that physical adsorption is the dominating mechanism. A high adsorption capacity of 4.086 mg N/g was attributed to the formation of a large number of adsorption sites and the highly acidic nature of dealumination of zeolites during electrolysis. Fast directional migration of ammonia in the electric field weakened the negative effect of boundary layer on adsorption and accelerated adsorption procedure. Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller measurements and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the formation of new channels and surface erosion, which resulted in a large surface area and pore volume of zeolites and a low resistance towards ion migration. As a whole, this study achieved efficient ammonia removal without the addition of chemical reagents to avoid secondary pollution.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Professor and Head of the Department of Environment and Resource, Dalian Minzu University, for the laboratory provisions granted.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41402208), Natural Science Foundation (National Innovation Joint Fund) of Liaoning, China (2020-MZLH-02), and Innovation Talent Support Plan for Colleges and Universities of Liaoning ([2020]389).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization, Ministry of Education, Dalian Economic and Technological Development Zone, Dalian Minzu University, 18 Liaohe Road West, Dalian, 116600, China

    Peijing Kuang, Yubo Cui, Wanjun Zhang & Xiaomeng Zhang

  2. College of Environment and Resources, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China

    Peijing Kuang, Yubo Cui, Wanjun Zhang & Xiaomeng Zhang

  3. Key Laboratory of Songliao Aquatic Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun, 130118, China

    Ke Zhao

Authors
  1. Peijing Kuang
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  2. Yubo Cui
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  3. Ke Zhao
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  4. Wanjun Zhang
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  5. Xiaomeng Zhang
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Contributions

Peijing Kuang: conceptualization, methodology, validation, investigation, formal analysis, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing. Yubo Cui: writing—review and editing, conceptualization, methodology, validation, writing—original draft, supervision, funding acquisition. Ke Zhao: methodology, writing—review and editing. Wanjun Zhang: project administration. Xiaomeng Zhang: writing—review and editing, writing—original draft.

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Correspondence to Yubo Cui.

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Research decorum does not involve human beings and animals; therefore, it does not apply.

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On behalf of Peijing Kuang, Yubo Cui, Ke Zhao, Wanjun Zhang, and Xiaomeng Zhang submitting our article entitled “Kinetics and mechanisms for enhanced ammonia abatement under synergy of electrochemistry and adsorption,” the authors declare that they agree with the submission and eventual publication of the Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Kuang, P., Cui, Y., Zhao, K. et al. Kinetics and mechanisms of enhanced ammonia abatement under synchronous process of electrochemistry and adsorption. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 172–183 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21829-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21829-z

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