Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr 11:13:1547169.
doi: 10.3389/fchem.2025.1547169. eCollection 2025.

Effective adsorptive removal of triclosan from water using bio-nanocomposite hydrogel beads

Vuyo Moses Mollo  1   2 , Mthokozisi Mnguni  1   2 , Diseko Boikanyo  1 , Philiswa Nosizo Nomngongo  1   2 , James Ramontja  1
Affiliations

Effective adsorptive removal of triclosan from water using bio-nanocomposite hydrogel beads

Vuyo Moses Mollo et al. Front Chem. .

Abstract

Introduction: Triclosan is a common antibacterial drug identified as a major contaminant in South African waters, notably in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal provinces. This contaminant comes from personal care products and pharmaceuticals. It has been frequently detected in local streams and wastewater treatment plants, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Studies have emphasised the necessity of addressing the presence of triclosan in water bodies to lessen its harmful impacts on the environment.

Methods: In this study, NaAlg/MnSx bio-nanocomposite hydrogel beads incorporated with different amounts of MnS NPs (0.02-0.2 g) were synthesised via the ionic gelation method and employed as an adsorbent for the removal of triclosan from aqueous solutions. The surface charge, morphology, thermal stability, crystallinity, and functional groups of NaAlg/MnS bio-nanocomposite hydrogel beads were characterised by SEM equipped with EDX, TEM, Thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR, XRD, and zeta sizer (mV).

Results and discussions: The experimental results demonstrated that incorporating 0.02-0.2 g of MnS NPs in the bio-nanocomposite hydrogels led to enhanced mechanical structure, porosity, and swelling ability for the adsorption of triclosan compared to pristine NaAlg hydrogel. The response surface methodology was used to optimise the experimental parameters affecting the batch adsorption of triclosan onto the surface of the adsorbent. Basic pH conditions were suitable for removing triclosan in aqueous solutions via hydrogen bonding with the carboxyl functional groups of the bio-nanocomposite beads. The pseudo-second order, Freundlich, and Sips models better explained the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherm data. The maximum adsorption capacity estimated using the Langmuir isotherm model was 132 mg/g. The thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy (∆H) and entropy (∆S)) were found to be 44.042 kJ/mol and 207.018 J/Kmol, respectively, which means the reaction is endothermic and increases randomisation at the solid/liquid interface. The Gibbs free energy (∆G) was negative throughout the studied temperature range, indicating that the adsorption process was spontaneously and energetically favoured.

Keywords: Triclosan; adsorption removal efficiency; bio-nanocomposite hydrogels; central composite design; manganese sulphide; sodium alginate.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
FTIR spectra of (a) MnS NPs, (b) pristine NaAlg hydrogel, (c) NaAlg/MnS0.02g hydrogel, (d) NaAlg/MnS0.05g hydrogel, (e) NaAlg/MnS0.1g hydrogel, and (f) NaAlg/MnS0.2g hydrogel.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
X-ray diffractograms of (a) MnS NPs, (b) pristine NaAlg hydrogel, (c) NaAlg/MnS0.02g hydrogel, (d) NaAlg/MnS0.05g hydrogel, (e) NaAlg/MnS0.1g hydrogel, (f) NaAlg/MnS0.2g hydrogel, and JCPDS card number 03-65-3413 and 01-076-3453.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
SEM imaging of (a, b) MnS NPs; (c, d) Pristine NaAlg hydrogel; (e, f) NaAlg/MnS0.02 g hydrogel; (g, h) NaAlg/MnS0.05 g hydrogel; (i, j) NaAlg/MnS0.1 g hydrogel; and (k, l) NaAlg/MnS0.2 g hydrogel.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
EDX elemental composition of (a) MnS NPs, (b) pristine NaAlg gel, (c) NaAlg/MnS0.02g hydrogel, (d) NaAlg/MnS0.05g hydrogel, (e) NaAlg/MnS0.1g hydrogel, and (f) NaAlg/MnS0.2g hydrogel.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
TEM images of (a) MnS NPs, (b) pristine NaAlg gel, (c) NaAlg/MnS0.02g hydrogel, (d) NaAlg/MnS0.05g hydrogel, (e) NaAlg/MnS0.1g hydrogel, and (f) NaAlg/MnS0.2g hydrogel.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
TGA thermographs of (a) MnS NPs, (b) pristine NaAlg hydrogel, (c) NaAlg/MnS0.02g hydrogel, (d) NaAlg/MnS0.05g hydrogel, (e) NaAlg/MnS0.1g hydrogel, and (f) NaAlg/MnS0.2g hydrogel.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Response surface methodology plots showing the interaction between the independent factors (a) MA and pH, (b) SV and MA, and (c) pH and SV.
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
Desirability profiles with predicted values for the investigated factors affecting the adsorption of triclosan.
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 9
Adsorption kinetic models of NaAlg/MnS0.05g bio-nanocomposite hydrogel on the removal of triclosan (A) Pseudo-first order, (B) Pseudo-second order, (C) Intra-particle diffusion, and (D) Elovich model. Experimental conditions: Sample volume, mass of adsorbent, pH, contact time and initial concentration were 35.1 mL, 11.5 mg, 5–85 min 8.68, and 5–60 mg/L.
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 10
Adsorption Isotherms for NaAlg/MnS0.05g bio-nanocomposite hydrogel on the removal of triclosan (a) Langmuir model, (b) Freundlich model, (c) D-R model, (d) Sips model, and (e) Temkin model. Experimental conditions: Sample volume, mass of adsorbent, pH, contact time and initial concentration were 35.1 mL, 11.5 mg, 8.68, 30 min and 60 mg/L.
FIGURE 11
FIGURE 11
Reusability and regeneration studies for NaAlg/MnS0.05g bio-nanocomposite hydrogel onto triclosan. Sample volume, mass of adsorbent, pH, contact time, initial concentration and desoption time were 35.1 mL, 11.5 mg, 8.68, 30 min, 1.0 mg/L and 2 h.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Abasalizadeh F., Moghaddam S. V., Alizadeh E., Akbari E., Kashani E., Fazljou S. M. B., et al. (2020). Alginate-based hydrogels as drug delivery vehicles in cancer treatment and their applications in wound dressing and 3D bioprinting. J. Biol. Eng. 14, 8–22. 10.1186/s13036-020-0227-7 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Abin-Bazaine A., Trujillo A. C., Olmos-Marquez M. (2022). Adsorption isotherms: enlightenment of the phenomenon of adsorption. Wastewater Treat. 19, 1–5. 10.5772/intechopen.104260 - DOI
    1. Abourehab M. A. S., Rajendran R. R., Singh A., Pramanik S., Shrivastav P., Ansari M. J., et al. (2022). Alginate as a promising biopolymer in drug delivery and wound healing: a review of the state-of-the-art. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 23 (16), 9035. 10.3390/ijms23169035 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aderibigbe B. A., Buyana B. (2018). Alginate in wound dressings. Pharmaceutics 10 (2), 42. 10.3390/pharmaceutics10020042 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Agoro M. A., Meyer E. L. (2022). Proficient one-step heat-up synthesis of manganese sulfide quantum dots for solar cell applications. Molecules 27 (19), 6678. 10.3390/molecules27196678 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources