B-Cyclodextrin Polyurethanes Copolymerised with Beetroot Fibers (Bio-Polymer), for the Removal of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants from Water
<p>In this study, B-Cyclodextrinn polymerized with beetroot fibers (Bio-polymer), was prepared and applied to the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from wastewater. An investigation into the use of cross-linked cyclodextrin polyurethanes copolymerised with beetroot fibers as adsorbents for organic pollutants and heavy metals has yielded very useful results which may have an impact in future water treatment applications.</p> The Biopolymer was tested in water contaminated by dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals. The effectiveness to eliminate dyes such as methylene blue and Rhodamine B with concentrations around 100 ppm was more than 99%, while the pyrene,which was chosen as an example among PAHs, showed a potential of elimination exceeding the 97% for solutions of 10 ppm. Also, heavy metals, such as Lead, Zn, and Cu, were tested and showed an efficacy exceeding the 99.8%. The results indicated that the biopolymer developed in this study has the potential to be a promising material for the removal of mixed pollutants from industrial wastewater or from contaminated groundwater.