Nonionic organic solute sorption onto two organobentonites as a function of organic-carbon content

Sorption of three nonionic organic solutes (benzene, trichloroethene, and 1,2-dichlorobenzene) to hexadecyltrimethylammonium bentonite (HDTMA bentonite) and benzyltriethylammonium bentonite (BTEA bentonite) was measured as a function of total organic-carbon content at quaternary ammonium cation loadings ranging from 30 to 100% of the clay's cation-exchange capacity. Sorption of all three solutes to HDTMA bentonite was linear and sorption of all three solutes by the HDTMA bentonite increased as the organic-carbon content of the clay increased. 1,2-Dichlorobenzene sorbed most strongly to HDTMA bentonite, followed by benzene and TCE. The stronger sorption of benzene to HDTMA bentonite compared to TCE was unexpected based on a partition mechanism of sorption and consideration of solute solubility. LogK(oc) values for all three solutes increased with organic-carbon content. This suggests that the increased organic-carbon content alone may not explain the observed increase in sorption capacity. Sorption of the three solutes to BTEA bentonite was nonlinear and solute sorption increased with decreasing organic-carbon content, with a peak in the magnitude of solute sorption occurring at an organic-carbon content corresponding to 50% of CEC. Below 50% of CEC, sorption of all three solutes to BTEA bentonite decreased with decreasing organic-carbon content. Surface area measurements indicate that the surface area of both organobentonites generally decreased with increasing organic-carbon content. Since nonionic organic solute sorption to BTEA bentonite occurs by adsorption, the reduced sorption is likely caused by the reduction in surface area corresponding to increased organic-cation loading.