Removal of MTBE and Other Organic Contaminants from Water by Sorption to High Silica Zeolites

Select zeolites with high SiO2/Al2O3 ratios were shown to effectively remove methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), chloroform, and trichloroethylene (TCE) from water. In laboratory studies using batch sorption equilibria, high Si large-port mordenite and ZSM-5 (silicalite) were found to have sorption properties for MTBE and TCE superior to activated carbon. For example, at an equilibrium solution concentration of 100 μg/L, high Si mordenite retained 8-12× more MTBE than either of two powdered activated carbons used as reference sorbents. Sorption results also highlight the importance of pore size and SiO2/Al2O3 ratio on contaminant removal efficiencies by zeolites.