Modificación de arcilla ecuatoriana mediante pilarización con especies metálicas de zinc y evaluación de su capacidad como fotocatalizador para la eliminación de fármacos en solución acuosa

Abstract

For decades, the environmental impact assessment of chemical substances has primarily focused on the so-called priority pollutants, collectively known as persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic pollutants (PBTs) or persistent organic pollutants (POPs). However recent advancements in more sensitive analytical methods have revealed the presence of other potentially hazardous pollutants that fall outside current regulatory frameworks, often referred to as emerging pollutants. This research aims to evaluate the photocatalytic treatment of an emerging contaminant (diclofenac sodium), using a locally sourced bentonite clay modified with zinc metal species, where ZnCl2.2(H2O) serves as the pilarizing agent. The study involves the pillarization of clay, followed by the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of the catalyst. An experimental design will be implemented to vary the adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial adsorbate concentration. The adsorption kinetics will be analyzed using pseudo-first order PFO and pseudo-second order PSO models, alongside the adsorption isotherms which will be modeled using the Langmuir and Freudnlich equations. The effect of adsorbate pH will also be assessed. These parameters will be evaluated under two different conditions: in the absence and presence of UV light.