Abstract
Sorption by biodegradable polyesters of several aromatic chemicals as model compounds for hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) was studied. The biodegradable polyesters used were poly(butylene succinate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(butylene succinate/ terephthalate), and poly(L-lactic acid). Petrochemical plastics, low-density polyethylene and polyethylene terephtalate, were used for comparison. The target HOCs were biphenyl, bisphenol-A, dibenzofuran, diethylstilbestrol, nonyl-phenol, and chlorophenols. The treatment of the HOC solutions with each of the biodegradable polyesters resulted in the nearly complete removal of the chemicals by sorption from the aqueous phase, except for the case of poly(L-lactic acid). Low-density polyethylene adsorbed biphenyl and dibenzofuran selectively, and polyethylene terephtalate did not adsorb any of the HOCs. The adsorptive interaction between the plastics and the HOCs might be related to both the glass transition temperature of the former and the nature of the latter as defined by the Fujita's inorganicity/organicity ratio. The toxic effect of 3,5-dichlorophenol on bacte-rial growth in liquid culture was removed by the addition of a biodegradable polyester. These results provide a basis for the applicability of the biodegradable plastics as the adsorbents for the removal of HOCs from aquatic environments.
Highlights
A wide variety of aromatic chemicals released from anthropogenic sources into the environment are recognized as harmful and persistent contaminants
We report that selected biodegradable polyesters are able to adsorb aromatic chemicals more effectively than selected petrochemical plastics
The addition of poly( -caprolactone) (PCL) to the solutions resulted in the disappearance of absorption peaks in all cases (Figures 1(a)-1(d), traces II), indicating that the hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) were removed from the aqueous phase by sorption onto PCL
Summary
A wide variety of aromatic chemicals released from anthropogenic sources into the environment are recognized as harmful and persistent contaminants. Such hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) are concentrated in biosystems through the food chain, thereby bringing about a potential threat of biotic environments [1]. The sorption of aromatic compounds on polyethylene as a membrane material was studied [12]. The mechanism of adsorptive interaction between plastics and HOCs has not yet been fully elucidated, the available information suggests that sorption technology using these polymers has great promise as a tool for HOC removal from the environment
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