Abstract
Many polluted sites are simultaneously contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. In the present study, batch and continuous column experiments were performed utilizing self-composition soil to describe the sorption behavior of two contaminants: lead (Pb
2+
) and pyrene (PYR). Operational conditions such as contact time, bed depth, and flow rate were optimized. The effect of soil organic matter content on the process of adsorption of both contaminants was investigated. The presence of PYR in solution at neutral pH (6.0-7.5) decreased Pb
2+
sorption. Similar behavior was observed for PYR in the presence of Pb
2+
in solution. At room temperature, batch experimental data conducted as a function of contact time were analyzed using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Results revealed that Pb
2+
sorption isotherms were fitted better by the Langmuir model and PYR sorption isotherms were fitted better by the Freundlich model. Column adsorption experiments were carried out at room temperature and under operating parameters (bed depth, flow rate, and initial contaminant concentration). Breakthrough curves were well fitted to the two-site first-order kinetic model with a sum of square errors less than 0.14. The Pb
2+
adsorption kinetic data were processed also for the Thomas model with a good accuracy.