Removal of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants (HOCs) from Aqueous Solution by Biomimetic Fat Cell (BFC) - The Behavior of Lindane

Abstract

Based on the bioaccumulation characteristics of fat cell, an innovative agent, biomimetic fat cell (BFC) has been prepared by interfacial polymerization to remove residual hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) from aqueous solution. BFC exhibited efficient lindane removal from aqueous solution, and 95 % lindane was removed by 20 mg/L BFC at 4.6, 9.3, 19.2, 27.6 and 38.2 μg/L initial concentrations. Removal rate experiments indicated that external film diffusion and intra-particle diffusion accounted for removal rate controlling together. Removal equilibrium fit Freudlich model well with high correlation coefficients. The thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that the removal was favored at low temperature and exothermic in nature.