Technological strategies employing deep eutectic mixtures and biomasses for the remediation of contaminants of emerging concern and inorganics

• Grant number: 24/22046-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Mario Henrique Gonzalez
• Grantee: Gabriela Aparecida Nogueira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Environmental contamination by pesticides and inorganic contaminants due to agricultural and industrial activities compromises water quality, public health and ecosystems. Methods such as adsorption have been widely used to treat these contaminants, especially the use of biosorbents and alternative solid materials. This project aims to develop magnetic and conventional solid materials (biosorbents) in order to produce adsorbent membranes from agro-industrial waste, such as olive, grape, rice, coffee and peanut shells, and their modified versions with deep eutectic mixtures (DES) and magnetic nanoparticles. Modification with DES aims to increase the surface area and functional groups, improving the adsorption capacity and regeneration of the materials, allowing them to be reused. The mixtures will be prepared by stirring with/without heating and route-evaporation, with characterization of density, viscosity, polarity and melting point. Agro-industrial waste will be modified by dip coating and sol-gel, while magnetic biosorbents will be obtained by microwave-assisted pyrolysis. The materials will be characterized in terms of composition, structure, morphology, texture, surface and magnetism using appropriate techniques. They will also be evaluated in the adsorption of emerging contaminants (atrazine, glyphosate, diquat) and inorganic contaminants (As, Cd and Pb), considering pH, dose, kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamic parameters, regeneration and reuse. Pesticides will be quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV detector (HPLC-UV) and/or High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and inorganic contaminants by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). It is hoped to obtain biosorbents that are efficient at removing these contaminants, contributing to green chemistry and circular bioeconomy, as well as the sustainable evaluation of the methods and mixtures developed using green metrics. (AU)