Laboratory and Field Investigation of Sulfolane Removal from Water Using Activated Carbon

Abstract

Batch and fixed-bed adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using activated carbon to remove sulfolane from aqueous media. Nine commercially available activated carbons with different particle sizes and surface characteristics were obtained, and their effectiveness in removing sulfolane from water was examined. The impact of operational parameters such as pH, temperature, water quality, and presence of cocontaminants on sulfolane adsorption was also investigated. In addition, pilot-scale experiments were conducted to assess the applicability of activated carbon adsorption under field conditions. The results indicated that coconut shell–based activated carbon had the highest sulfolane adsorption capacity. Adsorption was significantly affected by the presence of cocontaminants. The pilot study indicated that activated carbon can be used to remove sulfolane from groundwater.