Characterization of wastewater effluent organic matter with different solid phase extraction sorbents

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Water Treatment

Background:

• Effluent organic matter (EfOM) from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) significantly impacts aquatic systems.
• Understanding EfOM's molecular composition is vital for mitigation and removal strategies.
• Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) is essential for detailed EfOM analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically compare the molecular composition of EfOM extracted by eighteen different solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents.
• To evaluate the selectivity of various SPE sorbents for different EfOM molecular classes.
• To identify optimal SPE methods for comprehensive EfOM characterization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) for molecular characterization.
• Employed eighteen distinct SPE sorbents for EfOM extraction and enrichment.
• Analyzed and compared the molecular fingerprints of EfOM obtained from each sorbent.

Main Results:

• Non-polar and mixed-mode SPE sorbents preferentially extracted aromatic and unsaturated EfOM molecules.
• Polar SPE sorbents (strongly, mid, and weakly non-polar) favored the extraction of aliphatic EfOM components.
• A combination of CBA, ENV, and EnviCarb sorbents showed potential for comprehensive EfOM molecular profiling.

Conclusions:

• SPE sorbent choice critically influences the molecular composition data obtained for EfOM.
• Different sorbent polarities exhibit distinct selectivities for EfOM molecular structures.
• Optimized SPE strategies, potentially combining multiple sorbents, are necessary for thorough EfOM analysis.