title: Performance and mechanisms for the removal of phthalates and pharmaceuticals from aqueous solution by graphene-containing ceramic composite tubular membrane coupled with the simultaneous electrocoagulation and electrofiltration process.
abstract: In this study, commonly detected emerging contaminants (ECs) in water, including di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), cephalexin (CLX), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and caffeine (CAF), were selected as the target contaminants. A lab-prepared graphene-containing ceramic composite tubular membrane (TGCCM) coupled with the simultaneous electrocoagulation and electrofiltration process (EC/EF) in crossflow filtration mode was used to remove target contaminants in model solution. Meanwhile, a comparison of the removal efficiency was made among various tubular composite membranes reported, including carbon fibers/carbon/alumina composite tubular membrane (TCCACM), titania/alumina composite tubular membrane (TTACM) and alumina tubular membrane (TAM). The results of this study showed that the removal efficiencies for DnBP and DEHP were 99%, whereas 32-97% for cephalexin (CLX), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and caffeine (CAF). In this work the mechanisms involved in removing target ECs were proposed and their roles in removing various ECs were also discussed. Further, two actual municipal wastewaters were treated to evaluate the applicability of the aforementioned treatment technology (i.e., TGCCM coupled with EC/EF) to various aqueous solutions in the real world.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan; Center for Emerging Contaminants Research, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan. Electronic address: gordon@mail.nsysu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Gordon C C
authors.initials: GCC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hao-Xuan
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Heng
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D002516:Ceramics; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D005374:Filtration; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014025:Titanium; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate; D006108:Graphite; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D014025:Titanium; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; C032279:phthalic acid
keywords: Ceramic composite membrane; Electrocoagulation; Electrofiltration; Graphene; Mechanism; Pharmaceuticals; Phthalates