Sorption of natural organic matter (NOM) onto mineral sands

CHED 1130

Amy M. Thomas, thomasam@westminster.edu1, Lindsay Seders, lseders@nd.edu2, and Patricia A. Maurice, pmaurice@nd.edu2. (1) Chemistry Department, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA 16172, (2) Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, South Bend, IN 46556
This project was designed to study the effects of various sands on the adsorption of natural organic matter (NOM) in order to create an accurate laboratory model of groundwater systems. A hydrological tracer was used in order to refine experimental parameters and to ensure experimental reproducibility among trials involving different sands. The sands used in this study were commercially produced hematite, corundum, and quartz, and a naturally-coated sand. All experiments were performed using a gravity-flow column apparatus with a flow rate of 2.0 mL/min, and the measurement of NOM eluate by UV-VIS spectroscopy was measured at 254, 280, and 350 nm. Results indicated that naturally-coated sand causes the greatest adsorption of NOM at both pH 5 and 8. The results of this study may be applied to natural groundwater systems in the study of organic and inorganic molecule transport and procedures used for contaminant removal.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Environmental Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008