Cleanup-MOFs · Decontamination of emerging pollutant using porous Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and silica-MOFs composites

Decontamination of emerging pollutant using porous Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and silica-MOFs composites

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Pollutants (PPCPs) are regarded as an emerging class of contaminants and are often released directly into the environment after passing through wastewater treatment plants that are not equipped to remove them. In general, PPCPs refer to any product used by individuals for personal healthcare/cosmetic reasons or by agribusiness to enhance growth or health of livestock (i.e. anti-inflammatory and analgesics, antidepressants). These compounds are a source of concern because they are widely used and then, released in large quantities. Furthermore, given an aging population and medical coverage expansion, drug prescription is expected to sharply increase over the coming decades. PPCPs can be endocrine disruptors that mimic, enhance or inhibit the action of hormones. The presence of low concentrations of PPCPs has been associated to chronic toxicity and the development of pathogen resistances.The consequences of exposure over multiple generations to multitude of these compounds are unknown, involving a potential severe risk for health and environment. In human health risk assessment, ingestion of food and water is considered a major route of exposure to many contaminants. Moreover, the therapeutic misadventures, illicit drug ingestion or attempted suicide by using of harmful substances is a major worldwide public health problem that causes both a significant cost and severe health problems, even death. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of these poisoning, there are no specific pharmacological antidotes and currently available detoxification methods are weak and poorly prescribed (i.e. gastric lavage). In this context, a new class of crystalline porous materials known as Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) has attracted an increasing attention from academic and industrial domains. Compared to classical adsorbent materials, MOFs present several advantages: i) a versatile composition, ii) large structural variability, iii) important porosity, and iv) the easy modulation of their physicochemical properties. These features make them excellent candidates for the selective and important adsorption of large variety of toxins. The OBJECTIVE of the present project is to develop MOFs specially tailored for the removal and degradation of very harmful pollutant (PPCPs) from wastewater, as well as for human/animal detoxification.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз