Effective elimination of endocrine disrupting bisphenol a and S from drinking water using phenolic resin-based activated carbon fiber: Adsorption, thermodynamic and kinetic studies

Abstract This study investigates the optimization of parametric conditions required for achieving high equilibrium adsorption capacity, and kinetic rate of separation, for the very well-known endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) bisphenols (BPA) and (BPS). A high porous pretreated activated carbon fibers ((ACFs), phenolic resin-based weaved cloth) is used as an adsorbent in controlled aqueous conditions and as well as in real samples. Significant high values of Brunauer–Emmet–Teller surface area (SBET = (2342 m2/g)), total pore volume and pore size distribution (VT = 1.227 cc/g, 78 % microporosity, respectively, favor the separation process. Based on experimental findings, this study found the highest ∼98−99.9 % removal of BPA/BPS in the aqueous phase at optimized conditions (∼pH 7, 15 °C for 2 min). Based on nonlinear model fitting, BPA and BPS data follow pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir adsorption isotherm models. Moreover, in competitiveness environments, like in the presence of ionic salts (NaCl, MgCl2 and CaCl2 ranged from 1−500 mg/L), ACFs is showing maximum adsorption for BPA at 100 mg/L for MgCl2 and 10 mg/L for both NaCl and CaCl2. For BPS, maximum adsorption was 100 mg/L for all the salts. Based on experimental results, ACF has also shown a competent behavior in real sample adsorption.