Falcón Rivera, Juan C.

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    Treatment train with tire crumb rubber and cyperus haspan: a new approach for remediation of explosives-containing water
    (2014) Falcón Rivera, Juan C.; Hwang, Sangchul; College of Engineering; Segarra García, Rafael; Román Velazquez, Félix; Department of Civil Engineering; Vélez Díaz, Ana
    The objective of this work was to study the adsorption capacity of TNT and DNT by the use of tire crumb rubber (TCR) and the phytoremediation capacity of a native plant known as dwarf papyrus. Several batch and continuous-flow experiments were performed in order to study the treatment capacity of the tire crumb rubber and dwarf papyrus, individually and in combinations. Results showed that the TCR was capable of reducing the TNT and DNT concentrations in the water. For example, TNT was decreased in 24 hours from 7.6 to 0.18 ppm by adsorption to 15 g TCR. Smaller TCR sizes (mesh 30) decreased more explosives than bigger sizes (mesh 14–20). TCR adsorption of explosives was greater at a higher temperature (10 vs. 40 oC). However, pH did not play an important role in explosives adsorption to TCR. The explosives adsorption to TCR was slightly lower than that to granular activated carbon (GAC) in the early period of adsorption, but they were comparable at a longer adsorption time with a higher amount of adsorbents. For instance, after 24 hours, 25 g of GAC removed greater than 98% of TNT and DNT, whereas 25 g TCR removed 86.5% TNT and 89% DNT. But after 48 hours, 50 g GAC removed >99% of both explosives and 50 g TCR achieved 91 and 96% adsorption of TNT and DNT, respectively. Dwarf papyrus was able to reduce the explosives concentration without suffering adverse damage in its growth and development. For example, the TNT concentration decreased in a week by 53–97% depending on the initial TNT concentration at 0.5–10 ppm. TNT was mostly found in the roots, followed by the stems and the flowers. An in-series continuous-flow treatment train of TCR adsorption followed by dwarf papyrus phytoremediation was able to reduce TNT and DNT concentrations by approximately 52 and 50%, respectively. These results are expected to promote beneficiation of a solid waste TCR in environmental remediation in combination with green phytoremediation with dwarf papyrus.