Spectrophotometry

Spectrophotometry was used in the lab to determine whether non-magnetized zeolite, magnetized zeolite, or charcoal was the more effective sequestration agent for Procion Red Dye. A calibration curve was created with the known concentrations and the absorbances of the Procion Red Dye dilutions at λmax. The slope of the calibration curve was used to determine the concentration of the analytes. As a result, charcoal was shown to be the more effective sequestration agent.

Introduction PAHs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are organic compounds that are toxic to the environment. They are inevitably produced from the incomplete combustion of gasoline or coal that originates in industrial and agricultural processes1. PAHs are also water pollutants and may be found in water supplies across the United States2. Research conducted on laboratory animals exposed to low levels of PAHs have shown that the animals commonly develop various types of cancer and other harmful health effects. The
The first parameter is absorbance. By experimentation, it is apparent that charcoal is more effective in the area of adsorption than both of the zeolites. The second parameter is the cost of the sequestration agent. There are several methods used to produce zeolites since they are made for commercial use. These various methods are able to synthesize large quantities of zeolites at low costs. The third parameter is the rate of production. The production of charcoal requires a delicate process, whereas zeolite can be synthesized easily. The Procion Red dye was a suitable PAH model, because the structure of a PAH and Procion Red Dye both contain benzene rings. Since both compounds have similar structures they both can be affected by intercalation from charcoal or zeolite. Intercalation is a process where a sequestration agent, such as charcoal, can adsorb PAH