REMOVAL OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES DISSOLVED IN WATER WITH CARBONACEOUS ADSORBENTS

Adsorption properties of humic substances fractionated at varying pH on surface-improved carbonaceous adsorbents and the effect of inorganic salts on the adsorption removal of the humic fractions from aqueous solutions have been investigated. The adsorption properties of the adsorbents differ greatly depending on the characteristics of the humic substance fractions. The lower- and higher-molecular-weight fractions are adsorbed well onto micro- and mesopores of the adsorbents. When the valence and/or concentration of added inorganic compounds increase, lower-molecular weight components tend to aggregate to higher-molecular ones. After salting-out, the adsorbent being rich in micropores serves well as an adsorbent for removing both fulvic and humic acids from aqueous solutions.