4. Conclusions

One of the main deficiencies of CCAC as an adsorbent is its tendency to be fouled by NOM and other matrix constituents [23]. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of both adsorbents in the presence of NOM and inorganic ions. We repeated the flow-through experiments in the presence of 20 mg L<sup>1</sup> of humic acid (HA, as a surrogate for NOM) and 200 mg L<sup>1</sup> of NaCl to simulate the conditions in a typical surface water system. The removal percentages of each micropollutant are summarized in Figure 8. As expected, the addition of matrix constituents had a significant negative influence on the adsorption of micropollutants to the CCAC, likely as the result of a direct site competition or pore blockage mechanism [34, 35]. In contrast, no significant negative effect was observed for P-CDP. This was not necessarily unexpected; the binding sites of β-CD are contained inside its

Comparison of the removal percentages by P-CDP and CCAC measured for each micropollutant from flowthrough experiments conducted with added matrix constituents (20 mg L<sup>1</sup> NOM and 200 mg L<sup>1</sup> NaCl).

Comparison of the removal percentages by P-CDP and CCAC measured for each micropollutant from

Technology, Science and Culture - A Global Vision, Volume II

Figure 7.

Figure 8.

36

flow-through experiments.

The first aim of this research was to improve our understanding of the sources of micropollutants in the Hudson River Estuary. We collected samples from 17 locations along the Hudson River Estuary during May, July, and September 2016. The sample locations were selected to target sewage treatment plant (STP) outfalls and tributaries that are expected to be the major sources of micropollutants in the Hudson River. The samples were analyzed to quantify the occurrence of 200 wastewater-derived micropollutants and pesticides. The data was analyzed to identify the relative contributions of various sources of micropollutants and specific outfalls or tributaries that are significant sources of micropollutants in the Hudson River Estuary and revealed four distinct clusters of micropollutants grouped by their occurrence profiles. Rondout Creek and Normans Kill were both identified as the major contributors of wastewater-derived micropollutants to the Hudson River Estuary. Rondout Creek was also identified as a major contributor of agricultural micropollutants. Our geospatial analysis revealed several associations between the spatiotemporal occurrence clusters and certain geographic catchment features including the extent of total agricultural land cover, extent of cultivated cropland land cover, number of the major STP outfalls, and hydraulic distances to the major STP outfalls. These data can be used to develop targeted micropollutant mitigation strategies in the Hudson River Estuary. An expanded survey of micropollutants in the Hudson River Estuary that contains the data presented here has been published in the peer-reviewed literature [36].

The second aim of this research was to study cost-effective and energy-efficient technologies to enhance the removal of micropollutants in water and wastewater treatment systems. Despite their expense, AC adsorption processes have emerged as a leading alternative, though they are limited by relatively slow adsorption kinetics and a tendency to become fouled by NOM and other matrix constituents. Our results suggest that β-cyclodextrin polymer adsorbents address these specific deficiencies and therefore might be developed into a viable alternative or complementary adsorbent in water and wastewater treatment. Further, β-cyclodextrin polymer adsorbents are prepared in a single step from commercially available monomers, including the commodity chemical β-CD. Because it is synthesized through a rational process, many related compositions of β-cyclodextrin polymer adsorbents can be designed to target improved performance or different selectivity. These factors make it possible that β-cyclodextrin polymer adsorbents might be produced at large scales and deployed with competitive life cycle costs to ACs used in water and wastewater treatment. Together, these features all suggest that β-cyclodextrin polymer adsorbents may be a promising alternative adsorbent for the removal of micropollutants during water and wastewater treatment. An expanded study of micropollutant adsorption on cyclodextrin polymers has been published in the peerreviewed literature [37].

Technology, Science and Culture - A Global Vision, Volume II

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