Abstract
On the basis of their frequent occurrence and toxicological profiles, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has addressed a list of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as priority control pollutants. This study demonstrates the synthesis of a new adsorbent composite of chitosan (CT)/montmorillonite clay (MMT)-magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) for the application of the removal of the 16-USEPA-PAHs from aqueous solutions. The characterization of the CT/MMT-MNPs composite showed structural functionality, surface porosity, and hydrophilicity. The equilibrium adsorption capacity was found to be 30 mg/g. The isothermal study reflected multilayer adsorption with maximum adsorption capacity of 31.29 mg/g. The kinetic study indicated high presence of chemical adsorption and agreement with the calculated adsorption energy (12.89 kJ/mol), which is within the range of chemical adsorption. The reusability study showed the stability of the adsorbent composite up to four cycles. This study introduces a promising adsorbent for organic pollutants for water treatment applications.