Removal of Benzene From Aqueous Solution Using Raw Red Mud

Adsorption techniques are widely used to remove certain pollutants from groundwater. Benzene, which is one of the organic compounds of gasoline, is one of the problematic species by its toxicity and carcinogenic. Although many natural adsorbents may be used in the removal of benzene, their use is restricted due to cost and availability. In this sense, the red mud, that is a waste from aluminum industry generated in large quantities in Brazil, can be used as low cost adsorbent, especially if used in its raw form. This paper evaluated the benzene kinetics adsorption in thermostatic bath. The benzene adsorption process took I h to attain equilibrium and followed the pseudo-second-order model. The results were obtained by liquid chromatography. The maximum amount of benzene removal was 98%. Based on the results, it was possible to conclude that red mud has a good potential to remove benzene in groundwater.