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Removal of gadolinium-based contrast agents: adsorption on activated carbon

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Abstract

Three carbon samples were employed in this work, including commercial (1690 m2 g−1), activated carbon prepared from guava seeds (637 m2 g−1), and activated carbon prepared from avocado kernel (1068 m2 g−1), to study the adsorption of the following gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs): gadoterate meglumine Dotarem®, gadopentetate dimeglumine Magnevist®, and gadoxetate disodium Primovist®. The activation conditions with H3PO4 were optimized using a Taguchi methodology to obtain mesoporous materials. The best removal efficiency by square meter in a batch system in aqueous solution and model urine was achieved by avocado kernel carbon, in which mesoporosity prevails over microporosity. The kinetic adsorption curves were described by a pseudo-second-order equation, and the adsorption isotherms in the concentration range 0.5–6 mM fit the Freundlich equation. The chemical characterization of the surfaces shows that materials with a greater amount of phenolic functional groups adsorb the GBCA better. Adsorption strongly depends on the pH due to the combination of the following factors: contrast agent protonated forms and carbon surface charge. The tested carbon samples were able to adsorb 70–90% of GBCA in aqueous solution and less in model urine. This research proposes a method for the elimination of GBCA from patient urine before its discharge into wastewater.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank César Nieto (IPICyT, Mexico) for discussions on the protonation of DOTA and Patricia Ruíz (CQ-ICUAP, Mexico) for performing the determination of the functional groups. The current work was supported by CONACyT(Mexico)-DAAD-PROALMEX (Germany) 2014 (165431) and VIEP-UAP (ELGM-NAT00049-2014) research projects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Química, Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. San Claudio s/n. Edif. 103H, 72570, Puebla, Pue, Mexico

    María P. Elizalde-González & Esmeralda García-Díaz

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Ciudad Universitaria, Edif. 105I, 72570, Puebla, Pue, Mexico

    Mario González-Perea

  3. Department Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany

    Jürgen Mattusch

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  1. María P. Elizalde-González
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  2. Esmeralda García-Díaz
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  3. Mario González-Perea
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Correspondence to Esmeralda García-Díaz.

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Elizalde-González, M.P., García-Díaz, E., González-Perea, M. et al. Removal of gadolinium-based contrast agents: adsorption on activated carbon. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 8164–8175 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8491-x

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