Benchmarking Micropollutant Removal by Activated Carbon and Porous β-Cyclodextrin Polymers under Environmentally Relevant Scenarios

Environ Sci Technol. 2017 Jul 5;51(13):7590-7598. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00906. Epub 2017 Jun 13.

Abstract

The cost-effective and energy-efficient removal of organic micropollutants (MPs) from water and wastewater is challenging. The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of porous β-cyclodextrin polymers (P-CDP) as adsorbents of MPs in aquatic matrixes. Adsorption kinetics and MP removal were measured in batch and flow-through experiments for a mixture of 83 MPs at environmentally relevant concentrations (1 μg L-1) and across gradients of pH, ionic strength, and natural organic matter (NOM) concentrations. Performance was benchmarked against a coconut-shell activated carbon (CCAC). Data reveal pseudo-second-order rate constants for most MPs ranging between 1.5 and 40 g mg-1 min-1 for CCAC and 30 and 40000 g mg-1 min-1 for P-CDP. The extent of MP removal demonstrates slower but more uniform uptake on CCAC and faster but more selective uptake on P-CDP. Increasing ionic strength and the presence of NOM had a negative effect on the adsorption of MPs to CCAC but had almost no effect on adsorption of MPs to P-CDP. P-CDP performed particularly well for positively charged MPs and neutral or negatively charged MPs with McGowan volumes greater than 1.7 (cm3 mol-1)/100. These data highlight advantages of P-CDP adsorbents relevant to MP removal during water and wastewater treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Benchmarking*
  • Polymers
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*
  • Water Purification*
  • beta-Cyclodextrins / analysis*

Substances

  • Polymers
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • beta-Cyclodextrins