Remove the pharmaceuticals from water using selected adsorbents

Abstract

As part of the project of specific university research at the Institute of Municipal Water Management of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, a laboratory test was carried out to try and remove to pharmaceuticals from water using selected sorption materials. The goal of the laboratory test was to compare two selected adsorbents as Filtrasorb F100 and Bayoxide E33 in terms of pharmaceutical removal effectiveness from water. Salicylic acid was selected as a pharmaceutical; which is a colourless organic acid, which is of great importance in the field of dermatology and is a proven tool for various dermatological problems including acne. This is a pharmaceutical that is obtained from the bark of a willow white. Sorbent Filtrasorb F100 is in practice commonly used for the removal of micropollutants, as opposed to the sorbent Bayoxide E33, which is used to remove metals from water. In order to remove pharmaceutical from water, two glass columns were used with internal diameter 4.4 cm filled with said sorption materials. Height of sorbent was elected as recommended by the producer of filter material at least 75 cm. Model water was prepared in laboratories by mixing liquid pharmaceutical into drinking water. Samples of filtered water were taken after 0.5 minute and after or 1, 2, and 4 minutes respective. Totally 9 samples including model water were taken. The analysis of water samples after filtration from individual columns with said sorption materials showed found that Filtrasorb F100 reliably removed to concentration of salicylic acid after half a minute, while Bayoxide E33 started remove the acid but from one minute higher concentrations were onwards measured again. This means that the latter material was oversaturated, and therefore gradually ceased to remove the acid.