Batch and Fixed Bed Column Based Optimization of Municipal Solid Waste Biochar Application for Volatile Organic Compound Removal Form Landfill Leachate

Municipal solid waste biochar (MSW-BC) for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from aqueous media was investigated in this study. Batch result supported fixed bed column study was conducted for optimization of site specific permeable reactive barrier. The characteristics of MSW-BC were evaluated under different categories, surface properties, proximates, and elemental. Batch studies for BTEX conducted in different ranger of sorbent dosages (1-10 g/L), pH conditions (3, 5, 7, 9), time intervals (0.5- 24 h) and final sorbate concentrations (10- 600 µg/L). The batch based column experiments conducted for VOCs like toluene and m-xylene. Different quantity from MSW-BC (1, 0.25 %) was utilized into the column and different inlet concentration of Toluene (1000, 4000 µg/L) Xylene (4000 µg/L) was tested for optimization. According to the MSW-BC characteristics, organic sorption favor due to high carbonized structure of sorbent increasing hydrophobicity depicted by proximate analysis of lower polarity index [(O+N)/C] (0.26). Elemental characteristics of lower bioavailable metal environment ideal for field application of MSW-BC. Maximum adsorption of the Isotherm study reveals higher capacity for all VOCs (400 – 700 µg/g). The model fittings of all isotherms well suited with Langmuir and further Fruendlich fitting describe both chemical and physical adsorption. In fixed bed column system, relatively low r² values (r² = 0.8833, 0.8808) indicated the less applicability of Adams-Bohart model. Hence, both sorbates obey the Thomas model and could explain the Langmuir kinetics adsorption by MSW-BC in a fixed bed system. Hence, it can be concluded that MSW-BC is efficient in the removal of VOCs in batch as well as fixed bed sorption systems simultaneously minimizing the waste acumination in the environment.