Efficiency of a molecularly imprinted polymer for selective removal of phenols and phenoxyacids from contaminated waters

Abstract

The efficiency and the reuse of a bisphenol-A molecularly imprinted polymer (BPA-MIP) were evaluated for the selective removal of several phenolic compounds and phenoxyacid herbicides from environmental water samples. The proper sorption and selective recognition ability of the MIP were studied in aqueous solution by the batch equilibrium technique. Furthermore, removal of the analytes studied by the MIP was carried out from river, tap and ground waters, and different factors, such as the sample volume, the solution pH or the analyte concentration in the sample, were studied. Results obtained indicated a rapid sorption of analytes by the MIP, being the sorption dependent on the concentration of analyte in the solution. The MIP showed an excellent affinity toward phenolic compounds and phenoxyacid herbicides, and removal efficiencies of over 70 % were achieved in aqueous solution. Removal efficiency was not affected by the pH or by the water type, although it was affected by the volume of water especially for nitrophenols when amounts in solution were C1 mg. Removal efficiencies recorded by the MIP for the highest volume of water assayed were around 20 % higher than those obtained with traditional sorbents for chlorophenols and bisphenols, and similar removal efficiencies were obtained for phenoxyacid herbicides. The use of the MIP provided a selective, simple, reliable and viable solution for removing these compounds from water, and it could be re-used at least 20 times without losing any removal efficiency.

Imprinting Technology for Effective Sorbent Fabrication: Current State-of-Art and Future Prospects

“…The molecularly imprinted sorbents were also applied in the environmental analysis for determination of estrogens in water samples [ 99 ], chlorpyrifos [ 100 ], triclosan [ 101 ], polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles in seawater [ 102 ], quinoline [ 103 ], and phenolic compounds [ 104 ] in cooking water, antibiotics such as norfloxacin [ 105 ], levofloxacin [ 106 ], erythromycin [ 107 ], steroid hormones from water [ 108 ], metronidazole [ 109 ], rosuvastatin [ 110 ], carbamazepine [ 111 ], sulfonamides, and their acetylated metabolites from environmental water [ 112 ], triazines such as cyromazine from seawater [ 113 ], phenols and phenoxyacids from contaminated waters [ 114 ], phthalate esters [ 115 ], fenoprofen from wastewater [ 116 ], chlorsulfuron from soil [ 117 ], and various ions, such as mercury (II) [ 118 ] or copper [ 119 ].…”

Development of Aptamers and Aptamer-Based Materials for Agricultural Applications

“…Isoquinoline No, however a MIP for quinoline is described 212 No, however an aptamer for cocaine is described 213 No Carbazole Yes 214 N o Y e s Phenol 191 Phenol Yes [215][216][217][218][219] No, however an aptamer for BPA is described 220 No, however antibodies for chlorinated phenols are commercially available…”