Issue 12, 2023

Removal of estrogens from aqueous solutions using 3D-printed polymers

Abstract

Different pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can negatively impact our environment, even at nanogram per liter levels. At the same time, the amount of micro- and nanoplastics from various sources, such as personal care products, wastewater sludge, vehicle tire wear, etc., are increasing in the environment. Polymers may also serve as a source for EDCs and other contaminants via the decomposition of polymers or metabolic processes. However, they may serve as sorbents for pollutants as well. In this work, estrogen group hormones were shown to bind into 3D-printed filters made from commonly used polymers, such as polyamide-12 (PA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). The adsorption tests showed that polymers containing a higher degree of functional groups (PA and TPU) were more efficient adsorbents than structurally simpler polymers (PP and PS). Kinetic models for polyamide flow-through filters were measured for estrone, 17β-estradiol, and 17α-ethinylestradiol. The filters printed with the powder-bed fusion 3D printing technique successfully removed estrogen group hormones from water. The 3D printing technique provided a versatile tool for preparing filters with optimized porosities and flow-through properties.

Graphical abstract: Removal of estrogens from aqueous solutions using 3D-printed polymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Jun 2023
Accepted
25 Oct 2023
First published
03 Nov 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Environ. Sci.: Adv., 2023,2, 1739-1745

Removal of estrogens from aqueous solutions using 3D-printed polymers

J. Frimodig and M. Haukka, Environ. Sci.: Adv., 2023, 2, 1739 DOI: 10.1039/D3VA00159H

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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