Remediation potential of a reusable solid-phase adsorbant/absorbant

CHED 1139

Joseph Fiori, fiorja81@oneonta.edu and John C. Schaumloffel. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, SUNY College at Oneonta, Ravine Parkway, Oneonta, NY 13820
Purifying contaminated water is an environmental issue that is addressed on a regular basis. The challenge of cleaning water lies in finding a cost effective process that will provide suitably clean water and have minimal environmental side affects. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a viable option in environmental remediation. Commercially available PDMS is a solid-phase polymer that is easy to make, inexpensive, reusable, and has little to no negative impact on the environment. A contaminated sample of water can be percolated through the PDMS polymer to be cleaned. The polymer, now holding the water contaminants, can then be cleaned with a solvent (the solvent choice being dependent on the solubility of the contaminating compounds) and then be reused for another cycle. The reusability of the polymer to clean water in an acceptable range will be addressed in this project.