Affiliation:
1. Department Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18073 Granada, Spain
2. Unit of Excellence in Chemistry Applied to Biomedicine and the Environment, University of Granada, 18073 Granada, Spain
3. Biotechnology Institute, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Abstract
Water use has been increasing globally by 1% per year, and recycling and re-use are critical issues compromised by the presence of pollutants. In this context, the design of novel materials and/or procedures for the large scale-removal of pollutants must be economically and environmentally feasible in order to be considered as part of the solution by emerging economies. We demonstrate that the cross-linking of biodegradable polysaccharides such as starch, dextrin, or dextrin and β-cyclodextrin with divinyl sulfone is an innovative strategy for synthesizing insoluble and eco-friendly sorbent polymers, including pSt, pDx and pCD-Dx. The evaluation of these polymers’ ability to remove ciprofloxacin (CIP), a prime example of antibiotic pollution, revealed that pSt, with a Kd of 1469 L/kg and a removal rate higher than 92%, is a favorable material. Its sorption is pH-dependent and enhanced at a mildly alkaline pH, allowing for the desorption (i.e., cleaning) and reuse of pSt through an environmentally friendly treatment with 20 mM AcONa pH 4.6. The facts that pSt (i) shows a high affinity for CIP even at high NaCl concentrations, (ii) can be obtained from affordable starting materials, and (iii) is synthesized and regenerated through organic, solvent-free procedures make pSt a novel sustainable material for inland water and seawater remediation, especially in less developed countries, due to its simplicity and low cost.
Subject
Polymers and Plastics,General Chemistry
Reference43 articles.
1. UNESCO (2023). UN Water The United Nations World Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and Cooperation for Water, UNESCO.
2. Occurrence of Pharmaceutical, Recreational and Psychotropic Drug Residues in Surface Water on the Northern Antarctic Peninsula Region;Merino;Environ. Pollut.,2017
3. Pharmaceutical Pollution of the World’s Rivers;Wilkinson;Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,2022
4. Abdallat, G.A., Salameh, E., Shteiwi, M., and Bardaweel, S. (2022). Pharmaceuticals as Emerging Pollutants in the Reclaimed Wastewater Used in Irrigation and Their Effects on Plants, Soils, and Groundwater. Water, 14.
5. Pharmaceuticals of Emerging Concern in Aquatic Sys-tems: Chemistry, Occurrence, Effects, and Removal Methods;Patel;Chem. Rev.,2019