Thin adsorbent coating for contaminant of emerging concern (CEC) removal

Abstract

Contaminant of Emerging Concern (CEC) is among the new pollutants that has been detected at low levels in surface water. There is concern that these compounds may have an impact on aquatic life. In this research, we are focusing on one particular CEC compound, an antibiotic, from pharmaceutical waste and personal health care product (PHCP) called sulfamethoxazole. Therefore, new treatment approach via adsorption process in the form of thin adsorbent coating named as the COATER can be used to overcome this issue in a simple way. The COATER is a formulated adsorbent containing Epoxidized Neutral Rubber (ENR-50), Poly(vinyl) Chloride (PVC) and activated carbon (AC). This formulated adsorbent is coated on white cotton fabric via brushing technique. The COATER was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Particle Size Distribution (PSD). The surface area and pore volume of the COATER are 64.3 m2. g-1 and 0.07 cm3. g-1 respectively. The removal and adsorption capacity of sulfamethoxazole treated by the COATER able reached 83.9 % and 16.1 mg. g-1 respectively within 5 hours in 10 mg. L-1 of sulfamethoxazole solution. From the results obtained Freundlich model is the best fitted for the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole into the COATER, which indicated there are heterogeneous and multilayer surface adsorption. The COATER is an excellent composite with the ability to remove distinct categories of pharmaceutical waste disposed to the environment.