Effect of influent oxygen concentration on the GAC adsorption of VOCs in the presence of BOM

Two rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) were conducted in combination with a large column adsorber to determine if the small columns could predict the performance of a large column. The adsorbate solution consisted of three volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the presence of background organic matter (BOM). Landfill leachate was used as the BOM source. Dissolved molecular oxygen was used as a parametric viriable in the column studies to determine its influence on the breakthrough behavior of the adsorbate solution. The RSSCT, designed according to the assumption of no dependency of the intraparticle surface diffusion coefficient on the activated carbon particle size, accurately predicted the performance of the large column under anoxic conditions (absence of molecular oxygen), but failed to predict its performance under ambient (8 mg 1−1 dissolved oxygen) or oxic conditions (30 mg 1−1 dissolved oxygen). The RSSCT, designed according to the assumption of a linear dependency of the intraparticle surface diffusion coefficient on the activated carbon particle size, accurately predicted the performance of the large column under oxic and ambient conditions, but failed to predict its performance under anoxic conditions. The presence of molecular oxygen in the test environment resulted in an increased adsorption of the BOM on the GAC surface, which in turn, decreased the capacity of the VOCs due to competitive effects.