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Activated biochar removes 100 % dibromochloropropane from field well water

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Abstract

Dibromochloropropane was one of the primary chemical soil fumigants used to control nematodes. As a consequence, dibromochloropropane is now occurring widely in groundwater. This situation requires treating drinking water before human consumption because exposures to dibromochloropropane have shown linkage to infertility and circulatory system diseases. Here, activated biochar was produced from almond shells and used in the field to remove dibromochloropropane from a municipal water well. Results show that activated biochar removed 100 % of the dibromochloropropane for approximately 3 months and continued to remove it to below treatment standards for an additional 3 months. The breakthrough was modeled by a liquid film mass transfer model that described the experimental data very well. This manuscript reports on the efficient use of local resources such as almond shells to address local environmental needs.

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Abbreviations

3y/2x :

[ε/(K D ρ s )] [(v s t/εz) − 1]

4/5x :

[1/15] [(v s d 2)/(D s K D ρ s z)]

4v/x :

[4v s /(k f z)] [1/(1 − ε)]

C in :

Inlet concentration (0.00028 g/m3, average over study)

C out :

Outlet concentration (g/m3)

d :

Particle diameter [0.0009 m, same as for F-300]

D f :

Diffusion coefficient of DBCP in the fluid (water) [8.15 × 10−10 m2/s, based on Hayduk and Minhas relationship (Reid et al. 1987)]

D s :

Effective diffusion coefficient of DBCP in the solid [3.41 × 10−12 m2/s, calculated from particle porosity (ε p  = 6.47 %) and water diffusivity (D f ) and D s  = ε 2 p D f (Chang et al. 2004)]

ε :

Void volume in bed (0.38 m3/m3)

K :

Isotherm equilibrium constant (L/mg)

K D :

Slope of linear isotherm (true for low levels of DBCP) (m3/g)

k f :

Mass transfer coefficient for the fluid film surrounding the particles (0.18 1/s, calculated from the relationship = [6 D f /d 2] [1.09/ε] Re0.33 Sc0.33 from Wilson and Geankoplis (1966)]

μ :

Absolute viscosity for fluid (water) [1 g/m, s from Perry et al. (1984)]

q m :

Isotherm maximum loading capacity (mg/g)

ρ f :

Bulk density of fluid (water) (997,000 g/m3)

ρ s :

Bulk density of sorbent (221,000 g/m3, measured)

t :

Time of column operation (s)

v s :

Empty bed superficial velocity (0.0011 m/s, based on volumetric flow rate and cross-sectional area of column)

z :

Length of column (0.593 m, measured)

Re:

Reynolds number, ρ f v s d/μ (1.0, dimensionless)

Sc:

Schmidt number, μ/(ρ f D f ) (1231, dimensionless)

erf:

Error function, erf(a) ~ tanh(19.5 a/√π − 55.5 arctan(35 a/111/√π)), based on Vazquez-Leal et al. (2012)

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Acknowledgments

Part of the work was funded by the Almond Board of California. The authors would like to thank the City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities, Water Division, for their assistance. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS, 1100 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans, LA, 70124, USA

    K. Thomas Klasson, Minori Uchimiya & Isabel M. Lima

  2. USDA-ARS, 9611 S. Riverbend Ave., Parlier, CA, 93648, USA

    Craig A. Ledbetter

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  1. K. Thomas Klasson
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  2. Craig A. Ledbetter
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  3. Minori Uchimiya
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Correspondence to K. Thomas Klasson.

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Klasson, K.T., Ledbetter, C.A., Uchimiya, M. et al. Activated biochar removes 100 % dibromochloropropane from field well water. Environ Chem Lett 11, 271–275 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-012-0398-7

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