Affinity adsorption for the removal of organic micropollutants in drinking water sources; Proof of principle

Abstract

Sources for drinking water (DW) production contain increasing concentrations of organic micropollutants, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Traditional purification processes are not suitable for their removal or conversion, but even sophisticated technologies, like advanced oxidation processes and membrane filtration, are not able to efficiently remove all compounds from DW. For recalcitrant compounds, affinity adsorption, based on a specific interaction of the adsorbent surface with functional groups in the compounds' molecular structure, may be an effective alternative or addition. It can either be applied as a polishing step in DW purification or for removal of compounds directly at the source.