Effectiveness of Wood and Bark in Removing Organic and Inorganic Contaminates from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

The focus of this study was on aspen wood and other lignocellulosic materials for removing organic and inorganic contaminants typically present in stormwater runoff. The study demonstrated that aspen wood fibers remove PAHs from the aqueous solution. Removal increased with increasing molecular weight of the PAH, but did not seem to be related to the lignin content of the wood. In addition, bark from trees and other agricultural residues have been investigated as a noncompetitive sorbent for copper II ion. It has been found that barks that are high in tannins are the most effective filtration media from all of the agricultural residues tested. These results suggest that filters made from wood or bark could find applications in wastewater treatment and control of roadway runoff pollutants.

Keywords:

• bark
• copper
• PAH
• runoff
• treatment
• water contamination
• wood fibers