Abstract
We have developed a superconducting High Gradient Magnetic Separation (HGMS) system to remove endocrine disrupters from water. The system was able to purify 70 L of endocrine disrupter-polluted water within about 10 min without generating any secondary waste. The system consists of pretreatment processes to form magnetized compounds with endocrine disrupters, and an HGMS device to extract them from water by using a strong magnetic force. We produced novel adsorbent made of micron-sized ferric oxide particles that are not only magnetic but also hydrophobic. Because some endocrine disrupters are hydrophobic as well, the ferric oxide particles adsorb endocrine disrupters eluted in water according to hydrophobic interaction. We succeeded in decreasing bisphenol A concentrations in the fortified water from 69 to 16 ng/L and nonylphenol from 7.0 to 0.9 mg/L. Furthermore, we have successfully demonstrated that we could regenerate the ferric oxide particles, so that they can be re-used for adsorption of endocrine disrupters in water.