Sorption of a branched nonylphenol isomer and perfluorooctanoic acid on geosorbents and carbon nanotubes

As metabolites of organic surfactants, both nonylphenol (NP) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are toxic and ubiquitous in the environment. Their sorption on soils and sediments is of importance for their fate and transport in the environment. Especially in China, there is still a lack of consolidated knowledge on the sorption behavior of NP and PFOA on geosorbents such as Yangtze River sediments. Thus, the present thesis investigates the sorption of a branched NP isomer [4-(1-ethyl-1, 3-dimethylpentyl) phenol] (NP111) and PFOA on Yangtze River sediments and their model components, i.e. a clay mineral (illite), metal oxides (goethite and -Al2O3) and organic matter (isolated from Yangtze River sediments and commercial organic matter) by both batch and dialysis techniques. NP111 is the most environmentally relevant NP isomer and its fate in the environment is unknown. Because PFOA is weakly adsorbed on geosorbents, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were studied as promising adsorbents. One of the MWCNTs studied contained traces of metal catalyst on the outer surface