Adsorption properties of polyethersulfone-modified attapulgite hybrid microspheres for bisphenol a and sulfamethoxazole

Abstract

In this paper, attapulgite purified by acid heat was employed, and millimeter polyethersulfone-modified attapulgite hybrid microspheres were prepared. The effects of mixed bisphenol A (BPA) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) solution on the modified attapulgite doping ratio, initial solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contaminant concentration, and temperature were studied. The experimental results showed that BPA and SMX compete in the adsorption process, and the hybrid microspheres preferentially select the BPA molecules (anionic endocrine disruptors) compared to the SMX. The adsorption process in the mixed solution conforms to the quasi-secondary-order kinetic model. The adsorption of BPA and SMX by hybrid microspheres is more consistent with the extended Langmuir adsorption thermodynamic model, and the adsorption of BPA + SMX is more in line with the Langmuir adsorption thermodynamic model. At 25°C, the maximum adsorption capacity of hybrid microspheres for BPA and SMX was 102.04 and 12.80 µmol·g−1, respectively, and the maximum adsorption of BPA + SMX was 112.36 µmol·g−1. After five regenerations, the removal effect of the hybrid microspheres on the endocrine disruptors remained above 95%.