Remoción y concentración de contaminantes farmacéuticos de agua residual mediante extracción con sorbentes novedosos [Removal and concentration of pharmaceutical contaminants from wastewater by extraction with novel sorbents]

Introduction: Persistent pharmaceutical contaminants, such as Platinum cytostatics, commonly used in cancer therapy, have been detected in water bodies at low concentrations. Electrochemical, photochemical and biological treatments for the removal and degradation of these contaminants are expensive and sometimes ineffective. Sorption methods are a viable and more efficient alternative. Objectives: To obtain and characterize novel sorbent materials and to demonstrate at laboratory level their potential for the removal of pharmaceutical pollutants from water. Methods: Commercial and natural sorbent materials such as MetalZorb™ sponge, rice husk ash, Aspergillus niger O-5 biomass and natural zeolite were used to develop new sorbent materials through functionalization or chemical modifications, with improved performance for the removal of these contaminants. They were synthesized molecularly imprinted polymers and cryogels. Platinum and copper complexes (as models) and the cytostatics cisplatin, carboplatin and methotrexate were considered as analytes. They were used state-of-the-art analytical techniques to quantify the analytes and characterize the sorbents. The design and validation of the water treatment plant was carried out considering the characteristics of the sorbents and the results at laboratory scale. Results: They are proposed the synthesis routes of five new sorbent materials and the best experimental conditions for the extraction of contaminants. Natural and commercial sorbents used for the first time for these purposes were evaluated and their applicability was demonstrated. It was designed, developed and validated a versatile, fast and efficient pilot plant for wastewater treatment. Conclusions: The proposed materials demonstrated high potential for use in the removal of platinum compounds, particularly cytostatics, from water. The design, construction and installation of the pilot plant will allow the evaluation of the proposed materials for water treatment in our country.