Comparing the Absorptivity of Two Sequestration Agents
Macy Freireich* & Alekhya Geddan
ABSTRACT
In this experiment it was decided which sequestration agent, charcoal or magnetic bentonite clay, was more effective at absorbing the PAH model, Procion Red MX-5B. By way of spectrophotometry, the collected absorptivity and concentration values of each of the diluted samples of the Porcion Red MX-5B were graphed and evaluated in comparison to the measured absorptivity of the dye extracted from samples of magnetic bentonite clay and of charcoal through filtration. From the data collected in this experiment, it was found that charcoal was a more effective alternative to use as an absorbing agent in rivers to clear the water of harmful PAHs. INTRODUCTION …show more content…
Once each of the diluted samples of Procion Red MX-5B were created, each of the four cuvettes were filled with a different concentration. These concentrated samples of red dye included the 100% concentrated sample (0.05mM), the 50% concentrated sample (0.025mM), the 25% concentrated sample (0.0125mM), and the 12.5% concentrated sample (0.00625mM).
A sample of magnetic bentonite clay and 5 mL of Procion Red MX-5B were added to a clean mortar and swirled to dilute the sample before they were ground with a pestle and transferred directly to the filtration system. A filtration apparatus was set up before the magnetic bentonite clay solution was transferred to the filtration paper, extracted from the solution and filter a second time before the absorbance value was collected once the extracted liquid was place in a cuvette. The extraction process was repeated using charcoal in place of the synthesized clay.
RESULTS AND …show more content…
The substance with the lower concentration of dye remaining, in this case charcoal, would be identified as the better absorbing agent. When comparing physical attributes of each substance, clay can be identified as a more sponge-like material due to its more permeable, powder-like texture, yet the charcoal proved to be easier to filter because of its reduced ability to seep through the filter paper because of its more rigid texture. Yet another parameter to consider is each sequestration availability and cost for mass production. When dealing with large scale water sources, the amount of the sequestration agent must be relative in size, therefore the cheaper, more abundent agent would be desirable.
When observing the structure of Benzo(a)pyrene, an example of a PAH, the main aspects of the structure is similar to that of the dye, Procion Red MX-5B, used as a model PAH. No matter how complex a PAHs Benzene ring structure becomes, the core remains identical to that of the red dye used in this experiment, making it a suitable model. While this may be true one could argue that the dye’s lack in complexity makes it unsuitable for specific PAHs, a more general structure is easier to use when wanting to apply the findings of the results to multiple
Macy Freireich* & Alekhya Geddan
ABSTRACT
In this experiment it was decided which sequestration agent, charcoal or magnetic bentonite clay, was more effective at absorbing the PAH model, Procion Red MX-5B. By way of spectrophotometry, the collected absorptivity and concentration values of each of the diluted samples of the Porcion Red MX-5B were graphed and evaluated in comparison to the measured absorptivity of the dye extracted from samples of magnetic bentonite clay and of charcoal through filtration. From the data collected in this experiment, it was found that charcoal was a more effective alternative to use as an absorbing agent in rivers to clear the water of harmful PAHs. INTRODUCTION …show more content…
Once each of the diluted samples of Procion Red MX-5B were created, each of the four cuvettes were filled with a different concentration. These concentrated samples of red dye included the 100% concentrated sample (0.05mM), the 50% concentrated sample (0.025mM), the 25% concentrated sample (0.0125mM), and the 12.5% concentrated sample (0.00625mM).
A sample of magnetic bentonite clay and 5 mL of Procion Red MX-5B were added to a clean mortar and swirled to dilute the sample before they were ground with a pestle and transferred directly to the filtration system. A filtration apparatus was set up before the magnetic bentonite clay solution was transferred to the filtration paper, extracted from the solution and filter a second time before the absorbance value was collected once the extracted liquid was place in a cuvette. The extraction process was repeated using charcoal in place of the synthesized clay.
RESULTS AND …show more content…
The substance with the lower concentration of dye remaining, in this case charcoal, would be identified as the better absorbing agent. When comparing physical attributes of each substance, clay can be identified as a more sponge-like material due to its more permeable, powder-like texture, yet the charcoal proved to be easier to filter because of its reduced ability to seep through the filter paper because of its more rigid texture. Yet another parameter to consider is each sequestration availability and cost for mass production. When dealing with large scale water sources, the amount of the sequestration agent must be relative in size, therefore the cheaper, more abundent agent would be desirable.
When observing the structure of Benzo(a)pyrene, an example of a PAH, the main aspects of the structure is similar to that of the dye, Procion Red MX-5B, used as a model PAH. No matter how complex a PAHs Benzene ring structure becomes, the core remains identical to that of the red dye used in this experiment, making it a suitable model. While this may be true one could argue that the dye’s lack in complexity makes it unsuitable for specific PAHs, a more general structure is easier to use when wanting to apply the findings of the results to multiple