Activated Montmorillonite (AM) reveals as a low-cost and efficient adsorbent for the adsorption of nicotine and pyridine from aqueous solutions. In this study, the influence of several operation conditions (initial compounds concentration, volumetric flow rate, and height of bed) on the shape of breakthrough curves and the mass transfer resistance was evaluated. adsorption experiments were developed to determine the adsorption isotherm of the system, then the adsorption of pyridine and nicotine onto activated Montmorillonite in single and binary systems has been studied using fixed-bed adsorption column. In continuous adsorption, Results show that the maximum nicotine uptake 0. 68 mmol/g of AM was achieved through electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bond at a pH = 6. 3, a flow rate of 1 ml/min and a height of bed equal to 12 mm. In binary mixtures, zeolite adsorption is governed primarily by the size of pollutants present in water. Thus, the bigger compound (in this case, Nicotine), was adsorbed more easily than the pyridine present in the mixture. Experimental data were fitted according to Fowler Guggenheim for the isotherms and Wolborska model for the breakthroughs. AM was regenerated by ethanol and the results show that about 94% of the adsorption capacity is maintained after three times of cyclic adsorptiondesorption process.

The elemental composition of termite mound was determined by XRF which revealed K, Ti and Mn as minor constituents while Ca and Fe as major constituents. The dominant functional groups of termite mound are Fe-OH, Fe-O and O-H. The Pb (II) and Zn (II) adsorption capacities (mg g-1) are in order of Pb(II) (13.07) > Zn(II) (12.40) > Pb(Pb/Zn) (11.72) > Zn(Pb/Zn) (7.62). The Langmuir adsorption isotherm fitted the adsorption data better than Freundlich isotherm. The adsorption process was best described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model for single and binary solutions, and the rate constants k 2 (g mg-1 min-1) are 0.036, 0.016, 0.024 and 0.015, and the calculated value of q e (mg g-1) is 12.33, 12.25, 11.52 and 7.84 for Pb(II), Zn(II), Pb (Pb/Zn) and Zn (Pb/Zn), respectively. The regression coefficient, R 2 values, for these solutions ranged between 0.9966 and 0.9978. The DH (kJ mol-1) values were positive for single and binary solutions in the order Pb (II) (32.0) > Pb (Pb/Zn) (30.8) > Zn (Pb/Zn) (28.0) > Zn (II) (19.0), while DS (kJ mol-1 K-1) are in the order of Pb (II) (0.103) > Pb (Pb/Zn) (0.097) > Zn (Pb/Zn) (0.082) > Zn (II) (0.06). The DG value for Zn (II) is positive in both single and binary systems, while that for Pb (II) was positive between 313-333 and 323–333 K for single and binary systems, respectively. The data show that the use of neglected termite mound for Pb (II) and Zn (II) removal from aqueous solutions is economically significant in wastewater treatment.

The adsorption behavior of four anionic dyes and one disperse dye in single solution and binary solutions on fly ash was investigated in order to elucidate the effect of Competitive adsorption on the kinetics. The experimental findings showed that adsorption equilibriums of four anionic dyes were reached within 50 min either in the single solution or in binary mixtures. Competitive adsorption increased the time of attaining equilibrium of disperse dye. Desorption of dyes suggested the predominant adsorption mechanisms, that is, chemisorption for anionic dyes and physisorption for disperse dye. For the binary mixtures, the anionic dyes could be adsorbed preferentially on fly ash at the first stage. Second-order kinetic models fitted better to the equilibrium data of all dyes in the single solution as well as in the binary mixtures. The maximum rate constant of intraparticle diffusion and the minimum external mass transfer coefficient was found for disperse dye both in single and in binary solutions. The intraparticle diffusion constants and external mass transfer coefficients of the four anionic dyes in binary solution are similar to those obtained in single solution. The Biot number confirmed that the intraparticle diffusion was the rate-limiting step in the dye sorption process.