ADSORPTION OF ATRAZINE BY POWDERED ACTIVA TED CARBON - INFLUENCE OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC AND MINERAL MATTER OF NATURAL-WATERS

Contamination of the natural raw waters by pesticides requires the use of an activated carbon treatment in the municipal water treatment pla nt. One of the main factors affecting the efficiency of this process i s the presence of natural organic and mineral dissolved material. This research studied the influence of this material on the atrazine adsor ption. The experiments were carried out with four of the most used act ivated carbon in the water treatment plants and five waters, taken at different treatment stages. The results confirm the competition betwee n the pesticide and the dissolved matter. They also show the complexit y of the responsible interactions, which depend on the nature of the a ctivated carbon, the nature and concentration of the organic and miner al matter, as well as the level of pesticide.