Evaluation of silica as an adsorbent for carbendazim from aqueous solutions

Abstract

Adsorption of carbendazim onto silica has been studied. The influence of contact time, pH, ionic strength and temperature has been determined. The adsorption isotherms can be described by the Langmuir model. Adsorption appears to be more effective as pH increases and it is not significantly affected by ionic strength of the sample (except at high I values). Spectroscopic and thermogravimetric results suggest that carbendazim is adsorbed in its protonated form. Results indicate that after the treatment with silica, roughly 90% carbendazim can be removed from the aqueous solutions, making this adsorbent as a potential candidate for water treatment processes.