Upcycling of plastic membrane industrial scraps and reuse as sorbent for emerging contaminants in water
Journal article, 2024

Scraps obtained as waste of the industrial production of polysulfone and polysulfone-graphene oxide hollow fiber membranes (PSU-HF and PSU-GO-HF, respectively) were converted into granular materials and used as sorbents of several classes of emerging and standard water contaminants, such as drugs, heavy metal ions, and a mixture of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The millimetric sized granules (PSU and PSU-GO, respectively) outperformed granular activated carbon (GAC), the industrial sorbent benchmark, in the adsorption of lead, diclofenac, and PFOA from tap water. Adsorption mechanism insight was achieved by molecular dynamics simulations, demonstrating the key role of graphene oxide (GO) on PSU-GO material performance. With respect to GAC, PSU-GO adsorption capacity was two times higher for diclofenac and PFOA and ten times higher for lead. Material safety was assessed by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, excluding GO nanosheets leaching, and combined potability test. Overall, our work proves that scrap conversion and reuse is a valuable strategy to reduce plastic industrial waste disposal and to integrate standard technology for enhanced water purification.

Author

Sara Khaliha

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Francesca Tunioli

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Luca Foti

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Antonio Bianchi

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Alessandro Kovtun

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Tainah Dorina Marforio

University of Bologna

Massimo Zambianchi

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

C. Bettini

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Elena Briñas

University of Castilla, La Mancha

Ester Vazquez

University of Castilla, La Mancha

Letizia Bocchi

MEDICA

Vincenzo Palermo

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Materials and manufacture

Matteo Calvaresi

University of Bologna

Maria Luisa Navacchia

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

M. Melucci

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology

2053-1400 (ISSN) 2053-1419 (eISSN)

Vol. 10 5 1097-1107

Subject Categories

Environmental Management

Materials Chemistry

DOI

10.1039/d3ew00900a

More information

Latest update

5/18/2024