Effectiveness of Bentonite Clay

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Abstract: This experiment was created to discover how effective Bentonite clay is in the removal of the contaminants known as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The clay was first synthesized, then used in a side-by-side experiment with charcoal, which is known to be successful in the adsorption of PAHs and used as a standard. An absorption spectrum for a red dye with PAHs was used to determine how much of the PAHs the clay and charcoal adsorbed. Although the clay did in fact adsorb PAHs, the charcoal was much more effective. Introduction: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds that are suspected to be human carcinogens1. When found in the environment, they can be a threat not only to humans, but aquatic wildlife as well. They are often formed after agricultural products are made and also found in pavement sealants. It is very important to find a successful way to remove these contaminants from our water sources, and the use of Bentonite clay may be a good candidate. This is because Bentonite clay has adsorbing abilities due to its molecular shape. It has a large area that allows other molecules to adhere to it by the process of intercalation. A way to test this theory is with spectrophotometry. By obtaining the absorption spectrum of a red dye containing PAHs, one can compare that absorption to the absorption of the dye after Bentonite clay has been used to remove PAHs. Materials and Methods: To begin the experiment, the Bentonite clay had to be made. 250mL of distilled water was put in a 600mL beaker and set on a hot plate with a clamped thermometer submerged, but not touching the bottom. A 125mL Erlenmeyer flask was filled with 40mL of distilled water and set into the water in the 600mL beaker. Everything was then heated to 70°C. Then, 0.7895 grams of FeCl3 and 0.3954 grams of FeSO4 were added to the flask. The flask

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