The sorption of airborne pollutants on natural and synthetic surfaces: Correlation to the mathematical models

The laboratory experiments were carried out to study the sorption process o f gaseous toluene in the peel of different fruits as well as in the chemica lly prepared material based on silica support (multiligand-adsorbent). For the sorption experiments, a vapor generating system was used that allows th e exposure of sorbents to a constant flux of polluted air. The concentratio n of toluene in the tested sorbents was followed as a function of exposure time. The obtained results were correlated to the mathematical models descr ibing the sorption kinetics in the leaves. The investigation with the plant material showed dual-phase behavior of the toluene partition ('mixed' sorp tion mechanism), in the case of multiligand-adsorbent a typical adsorption process was observed. Sorption kinetics to fruit material was well correlat ed to the two-compartment model, while for the chemically prepared material to the first-order model. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.