A comparative study and evaluation of magnetic and nonmagnetic hydrogels towards mitigation of di butyl and di ethyl hexyl phthalate from aqueous solutions

This study was focused on preparation of a new hydrogel adsorbent material based on chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol and magnetic particles. These materials were prepared by varying their ratio and were compared with each other in terms of swelling and adsorption performance for two model endocrine disrupting compounds i.e. dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP). Two gels (gel 0 and CS 0.5) were selected for differentiating their adsorption efficiencies as a function of pH, time, concentrations, temperature and interference in batch mode against toxic phthalates. Among the two gels, CS 0.5 was found to be promising than gel 0 and showed better performance toward DBP and DEHP removal. The adsorption mechanism was found to be dominated by hydrogen bonding on gel 0. Additionally, complexation interaction and hydrophobic interactions on CS 0.5 were playing crucial role. The gels can be applied effectively for the elimination of DBP and DEHP pollution from waste water.