Utilization of nSiO2, fly ash, and nSiO 2/fly ash composite for the remediation of triphenyltin (TPT) from contaminated seawater.

The removal of triphenyltin chloride from contaminated simulated seawater with adsorption method was discussed. The adsorbents used are fly ash, nSiO2, and nSiO2/fly ash composite. The results showed that the adsorption of the adsorbents increases with increase in the adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, stirring speed, initial TPT concentration, and decreased with increase in temperature. The adsorption fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm, showing that the adsorbent and TPT combined with function groups and the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters were also evaluated. Optimal conditions for the adsorption of TPT from simulated seawater were applied to TPT removal from natural seawater. A higher removal efficiency of TPT (>99%) was obtained for the nSiO2/fly ash composite but not for fly ash and nSiO2.