A thin biofilm of chitosan as a sorptive phase in the rotating disk sorptive extraction of triclosan and methyl triclosan from water samples

Abstract

The features and nature of the sorptive phase may be the stage that determines the scope of microextraction techniques. In search of new alternatives, materials of natural origin have recently been explored to establish greener analytical strategies. Based on that search, this research proposes the use of chitosan as a sorptive phase, which was assessed in the rotating disk sorptive extraction of emerging contaminants from aqueous systems. Chitosan is a biopolymer of animal origin that is usually found in the shells of crustaceans. The main characteristic of this material is the presence of a high number of nitrogenous groups, which gives it high reactivity, but its main disadvantage is associated with its high swelling capacity.In this research, chitosan was crosslinked with a low concentration of glutaraldehyde to form thin films that were easily immobilized on the surface of the rotating disk. The main advantage of this modification is the considerable decrease in the swelling capacity, which prevents loss and rupture of the sorbent during high rotation of the disk. In addition, it not only improved the physical characteristics of chitosan but also increased its extraction capacity. With regard to its use as a sorptive phase, all the variables associated with the microextraction of the analytes were studied, and optimal variables were found to be: pH 4, 20% NaCl (salting out effect), 30–45 min as equilibrium time and elution of analytes with a mixture of methanol:ethyl acetate (1:1).Validation of the methodology for the determination of methyl triclosan and triclosan was carried out, and relative recoveries between 89 and 96% and relative standard deviations less than 14% were found. The detection limits were 0.11 and 0.20 μg L−1, respectively. Through its application in real samples (natural and residual waters), triclosan was quantified between 0.7 and 1.3 μg L−1. Finally, the “green” properties of the phase were evaluated, demonstrating that it is reusable for at least three cycles and biodegradable. Compared to its efficiency with a commercial phase (in this case, the styrene divinyl benzene phase), the proposed biosorbent provided a similar and even higher sorptive capacity (depending on the analyte).