Evaluation of the adsorption of ammonium-nitrogen and phosphate on a granular composite adsorbent derived from zeolite

To remove the extra ammonium-nitrogen (NH₃-N) and phosphorus (P) from contaminated water, a novel granular adsorbent (GAZCA) was fabricated with zeolite powders and Al–Mn binary oxide (AMBO) via the compression method. The SEM-EDS and mapping and XRD results illustrated the microstructure of GAZCA: the homogeneous aggregation of zeolite and AMBO nanoparticles with their crystal integrity and the uniform distribution of Al/Mn/Si/O elements on the adsorbent surface. FTIR and XPS results demonstrated the existence of impregnated sodium cations and hydroxyl groups, which were responsible for the removal of NH₃-N and P, respectively. The results of BET analysis and compression tests exhibited a high surface area (14.4 m²/g) and a satisfactory mechanical strength of GAZCA. Kinetic adsorption results showed a fast adsorption rate for NH₃-N and P, and mutual inference was not observed between the adsorption kinetics of NH₃-N and P in the bi-component system. The adsorption isotherm results demonstrated that the maximum adsorption capacities of NH₃-N and P were calculated as 12.9 mg/g and 9.3 mg/g via the Langmuir model, respectively. In the bi-component system, the adsorption capacities of NH₃-N and P were maintained at low and moderate concentrations and decreased at high concentrations due to the blockage effects of NH₄MnPO₄·H₂O precipitates. The removal efficiency of NH₃-N could be maintained in a wide pH range of 4~10, while P adsorption was inhibited at alkali conditions. The solution of sodium bicarbonate (0.4 M) was used for the regeneration of saturated adsorbents, which permitted GAZCA to keep 98% and 78% of its adsorption capacity for NH₃-N and P even after three regeneration and reuse cycles. Dynamic experiments illustrated that a satisfactory performance was obtained for the in situ treatment of simulated N- and P-contaminated water by using a column reactor packed with GAZCA, thus further confirming its great potential for the control of eutrophication.