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The surface sediments sampled from forty sampling sites in the Boka Kotorska Bay, starting from October 2005 to December 2019, were analysed for the content of ten heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe). Five complex indices (pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk index (RI), mean ERM quotient (MERMQ), toxic risk index (TRI), contamination severity index (CSI)) were determined for each site in the study period (2005, 2007, 2013, 2019), and statistically examined by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). In the semi-enclosed Bay, which consists of four smaller bays (Kotor, Risan, Tivat, Herceg Novi bays), a spatio-temporal comparison of sediment quality was carried out using PCA and CA analysis of the considered pollution indices. Statistical results revealed that the increased environmental risk in 2005 was observed in the bay of Kotor; in 2007 was in the bay of Tivat and Risan; in 2013 in the bay of Kotor and Tivat; and in 2019 was in the bay of Tivat, particularly at the shipyard site Bijela. The PCA and CA analysis highlighted that the sediment contamination in Kotor bay decreased from 2005 to 2019, while at the same time increased in Tivat bay, which is an indication of pollution due to urbanization and population growth in this part of the Bay. The results gave a statistical overview of the similarities between the pollution indices and the differences in the degree of sediment pollution in the Bay during the last two decades.

The industrialization and urbanization expansion have increased the demand for precious and rare earth elements (REEs). In addition, environmental concerns regarding the toxic effects of heavy metals on living organisms imposed an urgent need for efficient methods for their removal from wastewaters and aqueous solutions. The most efficient technique for metal ions removal from wastewaters is adsorption due to its reversibility and high efficiency. Numerous adsorbents were mentioned as possible metal ions adsorbents in the literature. Chelating polymer ligands (CPLs) with adaptable surface chemistry, high affinity towards targeted metal ions, high capacity, fast kinetics, chemically stable, and reusable are especially attractive. This review is focused on methacrylatebased magnetic and non-magnetic porous sorbents. Special attention was devoted to amino-modified glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) copolymers. Main adsorption parameters, kinetic models, adsorption isotherms, thermodynamics of the adsorption process, as well as regeneration of the polymeric sorbents were discussed.

The influence of extraction parameters on the ultrasonically assisted extraction (UAE) of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cr, Se, Mo, Li, Al, B, Pb, Hg, Cd, As, and Ni was studied to determine the conditions when a minimum of essential and maximum of toxic elements is leached from peppers, depending on its ripening stage. The effect of process variables was investigated by using Box–Behnken design. Each essential element had a different optimal condition for minimal leaching, while the toxic elements were predominantly extracted with acetic acid solution as extractant. The highest correlation between extraction conditions and concentration of extracted elements was found for aqueous extracts of mature green pepper. The concentration of acetic acid highly influenced the leaching of elements and a strong correlation between the concentration of Al, B, Fe, and Mn, and the UAE experimental conditions were observed. Practical applications: This study investigates the leaching of minerals and heavy metals present in vegetables to the most commonly used media (water and acetic acid) during processing and canning. The data from this study may be useful for improving the quality of processed pepper products due to new information on how different parameters influence these losses (ripening stage of peppers, medium/solvent used for preparation, or storage, applied temperatures, time, mass to volume ratio). Essential elements are better preserved during the processing of intermediate breaker and mature red pepper compared to green mature fruits. Better retention of essential elements in the breaker and mature red pepper (that are mostly used in industrial processing) can be achieved by reducing the contact time with water, as well as mass to volume ratio. Leaching of toxic elements Al, Hg, and As can be improved with an acetic acid solution.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a waste from mining sites, usually acidic, with high concentrations of sulfates and heavy metal ions. This study investigates the AMD neutralization process using fly ash (FA) as an alternative material. Samples of FA from coal-fired power plants in Serbia (“Nikola Tesla” (EF) and “Kostolac” (KOST)) were analyzed and used. The results were compared with the treatment efficiency of commercial neutralization agent (NaOH). The alkaline nature of FA was the basis for use in the treatment process of the extremely acid Lake Robule (pH 2.46), located in the mining areas of eastern Serbia. The optimal S/L ratio for the AMD neutralization process determined for EF was 25 wt.%, and for KOST it was 20 wt.%. The mechanism of the neutralization process was analyzed using the ANC test and PHREEQC program. The element concentrations and pH values in solutions indicated that FA samples could neutralize Lake Robule with more than 99% of Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, and more than 89% of Pb precipitated. Formation of insoluble (oxy)hydroxide forms (Fe3+ and Al3+ ions) creates favorable conditions for co-precipitation of other trace metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Cd) from AMD, which is further enhanced by cation adsorption on FA particles. FA proved to be a more effective neutralization agent than NaOH due to its adsorption effect, while among the FA samples, KOST was more effective due to the aging process through the carbonization reaction. Using FA as an alternative material is a promising and sustainable method for treating AMD, with economic and environmental benefits.

The sediment was collected at forty locations in the Boka Kotorska Bay, in different seasons and years (October 2005, June 2007, April 2013, December 2019), and analyzed using the EDXRF method. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential risk and compare heavy metal pollution (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe) of surface sediments in the period 2005-2019. Environmental risk assessment was performed by comparative analysis of pollution indices, such as pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk index (RI), mean ERM quotient (MERMQ), toxic risk index (TRI), and contamination severity index (CSI). The average contribution of individual metals in the total environmental risk showed the following order: Cd > Hg > As > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cr > Zn. Accordingly, Cd represented a concern of the highest priority for the Bay ecosystem due to its high toxicity. The results indicated that Hg concentrations showed a declining trend in the period from 2005 to 2019. Referring to the results of all applied pollution indices, it was established that the highest pollution was identified in 2019, particularly at the shipyard site S4, while the lowest pollution was recorded in 2005 and 2013. The spatial distribution of pollution indices for each investigated year revealed the most polluted sediments at sites S4 and S10 in Tivat bay. These findings provide insight into the comparison of different indices in assessing the sediment quality in the Boka Kotorska Bay over the last two decades.

Conventional wastewater treatment processes are increasingly difficult to fulfill strict standards of achieving the required quality. Therefore, it is necessary to apply processes that in an efficient and economically justified way reach the necessary limits in order to discharge wastewater into the recipient. The process of photolysis represents the degradation of the starting pollutant practically to water and carbon dioxide. The whole process takes place under the action of a UV lamp that imitated solar irradiation. The process is environmentally justified since, unlike some other advanced oxidation processes - AOPs, there is no use of additional, hazardous, chemicals which possibly results in the precipitates formation that are leading to further treatment. In this paper, photolytic degradation of pesticide thiophanate methyl was performed in doubled wall quartz reactor equipped with a thermoregulation system. Reaction was forced under Osram ULTRA VITALUX UV lamp (300W). Kinetics of photodecomposition process was followed by pseudo-first order. In certain time periods, specimens were sampled, filtered and monitored by UV spectrophotometer Shimadzu 1800 with an aim to determine the concentration of xenobiotic. Complete degradation of present xenobiotics was obtained after 240 min. With an aim to enhance the degradation process, hydrogen peroxide was added as a boosting agent which cause a shortening in demanded time (150 min) for complete degradation. Verification of the success of decomposition was confirmed by the obtained values of chemical oxygen demand (COD), which reveal that the established system has a basis for real application in industrial or municipal wastewater.

Kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic of arsenate sorption onto magnetic polymer sorbent based on glycidyl methacrylate were investigated. The maximum sorption capacity of 0.59 mg/g was obtained. The experimental data were analyzed by seven kinetic models and eight isotherm models. Nonlinear regression method was used to fit the data to the kinetic and isotherm models. Thus, two error functions; coefficient of determination and Chi-square statistic test were applied to evaluate the sorption data. It was shown that arsenate sorption obeys the pseudo-second-order model with evident influence of pore and film diffusion. The Freundlich and all three-parameter isotherm models proved to be the best representatives of arsenate sorption. Thermodynamic studies implied endothermic and spontaneous process in nature.

Magnetic macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) nanocomposite was synthesized by suspension copolymerization. The obtained nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mercury porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Such magnetic nanocomposite was applied as sorbent for a dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME) for aniline preconcentration from water samples. The parameters affecting the microextraction were optimized. The screening of DSPME parameters was determined using Plackett-Burman design (PBD). For the optimization of the most important factors Central Composite Design (CCD) was used. The analysis of the results showed that the pH value and temperature of desorption were the most significant factors.

Improving the affinity and selectivity of polymeric materials for sorbing ionic species, particularly heavy metals that pose a high environmental risk, is crucial from an environmental standpoint. Research on the mechanism of sorption can aid in selecting the optimal sorbent for a given application. Sorption occurs as a result of various interactions. Sorption includes diffusion of ions through solution (typically the quickest), diffusion of ions through the boundary layer surrounding the sorbent surface, diffusion through the porous structure of the sorbent (intra-particle diffusion), and binding to active sites on sorbent surfaces. Kinetic and equilibrium models explain the sorption mechanism but not the nature of interactions, which is essential for predicting the selectivity and efficiency of the sorbent based on particular ionic species. As a result, we were compelled to approach the molecular level. Active sites on the surface of the magnetic aminofunctionalized polymer, which are amino functional groups, are used to bind ions to the magnetic nanocomposite. The sorption process can be viewed as the sum of ion-ligand unit interactions. Unit complex formation and stability can be studied with statistical analysis and quantum chemical calculations. The Cambridge database (CSD) improves the crystal structure of complex ion-ligand. Based on binding energy, DFT (Density Functional Theory) predicts the stability of complex molecules (unit ion-ligand interactions). To ensure an accurate calculation, it is essential to include all system parameters, including sorbent structure, ligand properties, ligand charge under specific conditions, ion forms and charges, and solvatation effects. In the early stages of research, defining the system's model lets researchers make theoretical predictions about the magnetic aminofunctionalized polymer sorbent's affinity and selectivity for certain ionic species.

Uklanjanje boja iz otpadnih voda je jedan od glavnih interesovanja naučne zajednice koja se bavi zaštitom životne sredine. U ekološko prihvatljive metode za prečišćavanje otpadnih voda spadaju i enzimski tretmani, među kojima je i oksidacija boja peroksidazom. Visoka tržišna cena prečišćenih enzima dovela je do izolovanja enzima iz jeftinih izvora i do primene enzima u obliku sirovog ekstrakta. Izvođenje kontinualnog sistema doprinosi povećanoj efikasnosti procesa. U ovom radu, izolovana je peroksidaza iz otpadnog materijala – krompirovih ljuski za obezbojavanje boje Acid Violet 109. Uklanjanje je izvršeno u kontinualnom mikroreaktoru. Optimizovani su glavni procesni parametri: vreme zadržavanja, aktivnost enzima, koncentracija vodonik-peroksida i boje, kao i prečnik i dužina reaktora. Nakon vremena zadržavanja od 3 min u mikroreaktoru prečnika 0,5 mm i dužine 6m, procenat obezbojavanje je iznosio 76%., Dye removal from wastewater is one of the major interests of the scientific community dealing with environmental protection. Among available techniques for wastewater decolorization is dye oxidation using peroxidase. Taking into consideration the high market price of purified enzymes, the isolation of enzymes from cheap sources and the potential use of crude enzyme extractscontributes to the sustainabilityof the treatment. Furthermore, introducing continuous flow systems enhances the process's productivity and efficiency. In this study, peroxidase was isolated from waste material –potato peel and used for removal of anthraquinone dye Acid Violet 109 in a continuous flow. The main process parameters were optimized: residence time, enzyme activity, hydrogen peroxide and dye concentration, as well as the reactor's length and diameter. After 3min of residence time, in a microreactor with 0.5 mm diameter and 6m length, the decolorization rate was 76%.

In this paper, three molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with different molar ratios of amine (ethylene diamine) and template (aniline) (1:1, 2:1, 4:1) were synthesized by the surface imprinting method. The obtained MIPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and FTIR, and investigated as a potential aniline sorbents at different pH. The results showed that MIP (4:1) had good potential for the removal of aniline.

Magnetic macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) nanocomposite was synthesized by suspension copolymerization. The obtained nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mercury porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Such magnetic nanocomposite was applied as sorbent for a dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME) for aniline preconcentration from water samples. The parameters affecting the microextraction were optimized. The screening of DSPME parameters was determined using Plackett-Burman design (PBD). For the optimization of the most important factors Central Composite Design (CCD) was used. The analysis of the results showed that the pH value and temperature of desorption were the most significant factors.

Kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic of arsenate sorption onto magnetic polymer sorbent based on glycidyl methacrylate were investigated. The maximum sorption capacity of 0.59 mg/g was obtained. The experimental data were analyzed by seven kinetic models and eight isotherm models. Nonlinear regression method was used to fit the data to the kinetic and isotherm models. Thus, two error functions; coefficient of determination and Chi-square statistic test were applied to evaluate the sorption data. It was shown that arsenate sorption obeys the pseudo-second-order model with evident influence of pore and film diffusion. The Freundlich and all three-parameter isotherm models proved to be the best representatives of arsenate sorption. Thermodynamic studies implied endothermic and spontaneous process in nature.

A calcium-pyro-hydrochar (Ca-PHC) can be distinguished as a novel sorbent of Pb2+ and Cd2+ from an aqueous solution. It was obtained using hydrothermal treatment of the spent mushroom substrate (SMS), followed by a CaCl2 center dot 5H(2)O activation and pyrolysis. The characterisation of chars before and after modifications was done by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett- Teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Batch experiments were performed to examine Ca-PHC's sorption properties and binding mechanisms to selected metal ions. The maximum sorption capacities of Ca-PHC for Pb2+ and Cd2+ were 297 mg g(-1) , and 131 mg g(-1) respectively. The obtained results demonstrated that the sorption of Pb2+ and Cd2+ by Ca-PHC follows a pseudosecond kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm. The binding of the selected metals onto Ca-PHC was enabled by the ion-exchange mechanism, surface complexation, mineral precipitation and cation-pi interaction. Thermodynamic parameters indicate that metal ions binding by Ca-PHC are spontaneous and endothermic. Due to the high adsorption capacities, the obtained Ca-PHC has good potential for application in industrial wastewater treatment. In addition, the demonstrated use of SMS highlights another possibility of applying this specific biomass relevant to sustainable and economical waste management in the growing mushroom industry.

Drying is one of the methods for the preservation of fruits and vegetables [1]. Peppers are still dried in open sunlight, although this method has many shortcomings (long drying time, microbial contamination, depending on weather conditions, final product of poor color) [2]. Deterioration of numerous nutrients, which occurs during drying, can be prevented by applying various pre-treatments and/or different drying methods [2–4]. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of different pretreatments and drying methods on L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) content in dried bell pepper. Effect of following parameters were studied: applied additive (0.25% citric acid, 0.25% potassium metabisulfite or their mixture), temperature, time, pH value of pretreatment solution, ultrasound pretreatment, pepper slices size, pepper mass and drying method (hot air-drying and freeze-drying). For organization of experiments fractional factorial design was used. Results showed that only the drying method significantly affects the content of L-AA after a month of storage. Freeze-drying was a better method for L-AA preservation. The interaction between the drying method and the size of pepper slices was also meaningful, although this interaction wasn’t statistically significant. Better preservation of L-AA, for hot air-dried samples, was achieved with a slices size of 4×4 cm compared to smaller (2×2 cm) and larger ones (8×8 cm). In the case of freeze-dried samples, the slice size didn’t affect the preservation of L-AA. The medium slices of the pepper fruit provided better penetration of the additives, which resulted in a better protective effect on L-AA during the hot air-drying. On the other hand, smaller pieces (2×2 cm) led to higher losses, probably due to the higher leaching of L-AA. Larger slices (8×8 cm) proved to be the most unfavorable for the preservation of L-AA (maybe due to less diffusion of additive during pretreatment and its later weak effect during drying).

This study collected agricultural surface soil samples from 200 sites in the district of Braničevo, located in the Carpathian Mountains – Pannonian Basin south of the Danube River (Serbia). The main objective was to determine the soil contamination by ten potentially toxic elements (As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Zn) and evaluate the associated ecological risk via different indices. The physicochemical parameters, pH, organic carbon, water content, and soil texture were also analyzed. The mean values of most metal concentrations remained below their corresponding national target values, except for Mo and Ni. The main soil texture types were silt loam (40.5 %) and silty clay loam (34.5 %). According to the mean values, pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk (RI) demonstrated that the soil in the study area was exposed to moderate pollution and moderate ecological risk, while enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), and contamination factor (CF) revealed very high enrichment and contamination with Mo, implying the impact of anthropogenic activities. There was a lack of strong correlations among elements and soil properties, except for Cd and Corg, while moderate to strong positive inter-metal relationships suggested their common sources. The chemometric analysis illustrated the classification of sampling sites into two distinct clusters of spatial similarities according to higher and lower metal concentrations. Geospatial mapping identified a few areas of considerable ecological risk. © 2022,Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences. All Rights Reserved.

In this research, the pectin monoliths were prepared via the sol-gel process through different routes of crosslinking and additional freeze-drying. The crosslinking reaction was induced by the use of calcium ions in aqueous solutions and in alcohol/water solutions. The resulting pectin monoliths obtained by freeze-drying were macroporous with open cells, limited specific surface area, moderate mechanical stability and moderate biodegradation rate. The presence of alcohol in crosslinking solution significantly changed the morphology of final pectin monoliths, which was evidenced by the reduction of their pore size for one order. The specific surface area of pectin monoliths obtained through the calcium-water-alcohol route was 25.7 m2/g, the Young compressive modulus was 0.52 MPa, and the biodegradation rate was 45% after 30 days of immersion in compost media. Considering that pectin can be obtained from food waste, and its physical properties could be tailored by different crosslinking routes, the pectin monoliths could find wide application in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, medical and food industries, providing sustainable development concepts.

The content of twenty-one essential and toxic elements in fresh, dried, and processed peppers (Capsicum annuum) obtained from the Serbian market was analyzed. The concentration of the elements varied significantly between the analyzed samples. The most abundant essential element was K with an average concentration of 8.4 g/kg fresh weight. All processed products also had increased Na content, reaching a maximum value of 15.8 g/kg fresh weight in peppers from the pepper-meat products. Toxic elements Pb, Cd, and As were found in all analyzed samples, while Hg was detected in a few samples. Based on guideline values or recommended dietary intake, pepper and pepper products are not a significant source of essential elements. The health risk assessment was conducted by calculating target hazard quotient (THQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR), as well as comparing estimated weekly (Al, Hg, Cd) and daily intake (As, Pb) with appropriate PTWI and BMDL values. The risk assessment results indicate that peppers and pepper products are mostly safe for consumption both for adults and children. However, consumption of some pepper samples may pose a health risk due to an incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) value higher than 10−4

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) of eleven ultraviolet filters (UVFs): benzophenone-1 (BP-1); benzophenone-3 (BP-3); benzophenone-4 (BP-4); isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate (IAMC), homosalate (HMS); 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-HB); 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC); octocrylene (OC); octyl dimethyl-p-aminobenzoate (OD-PABA); 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC); and avobenzone (AVO), has been optimized using Plackett-Burman design, Box-Behnken design, and Derrindzer desirability function. Of the six SPE variables studied, the most influencing is the type of eluent followed by pH and the methanol content in the rinsing solvent. A method with good analytical performance was obtained by applying optimal SPE conditions and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), with the method detection limit ranging from 0.1 to 5 ng/L, recovery from 44% to 99%, and relative standard deviation (RSD) within 19%. This method was used to analyze the content of UVFs in an urban lake (Sava Lake, Serbia). UVFs occurrence, geostatistical distribution, and associated environmental risk are highly dependent on recreational activities. The average concentrations of UVFs ranged from 0.3 to 113 ng/L, and the most present substance was EHMC, followed by 4-MBC and BP-3. The spatial distribution of the risk quotient (RQ = 0.04–1.7) inside the lake is highly correlated with the number of people bathing and swimming. Human exposure through the dermal pathway is higher than ingestion for most UVFs. Monte Carlo simulation of probabilistic risk assessment estimated the percentile P10, P50, P90 of 12.7; 17.3; 47.5 and 20.1; 27.6; 77.5 ng/kg∙day for total human exposure of adults and children, respectively. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the health risk estimate depends mostly on the content of EHMC, HMS, and 4-MBC, while the most influential exposure variables were human body weight and skin surface area. There is no serious concern to human health due to UVFs in the short term; however

A core-shell amino-functionalized glycidyl methacrylate magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by the suspension polymerization/surface imprinting method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry, nitrogen gas adsorption–desorption, and elemental analysis. This MIP was used as the sorbent in dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME) of aniline from textile wastewater prior to high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) measurements. Since aniline is toxic and a probable human carcinogen, its determination in water is of great significance. This is a challenging task because aniline is usually present at trace levels. The effects of different DSPME variables on the preconcentration efficiency have been studied by using the Plackett–Burman screening design of experiments (DoE) followed by response surface methodology optimization using the Box-Behnken design. Thus, DoE enabled the investigation of several variables simultaneously. Under optimized conditions, aniline was effectively and selectively separated by a small amount of the DSPME sorbent and detected in real textile wastewater samples. The method detection limit of 1 ng mL−1 was attained, with good method linearity and acceptable recovery and precision. The results showed that the studied MIP could be a reliable DSPME sorbent for efficiently analyzing trace aniline in real wastewater samples.

The study aimed to investigate the physico-chemical properties as well as phytoplankton and bacterial community diversity of Bovan Lake reservoir in Serbia to gain insight into the seasonal dynamic of water quality. All analyses were performed at three localities and water depths in spring, summer, autumn, and winter 2019. Seven phytoplankton phyla comprising 139 taxa were detected at all three localities (Chlorophyta 58%, Bacillariophyta 14%, Cyanobacteria 9%, Chrysophyta 5%, Dinophyta 5%, Euglenophyta 5%, and Cryptophyta 4%). Winter 2019 was characterized by the presence of 36 unique species in all phyla except Euglenophyta. Bacterial diversity analyses showed that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia dominated the water intake locality at all three water depths (0.5, 10, and 20 m below the surface). In general, the physico-chemical parameters, phytoplankton, and bacterial community composition depended on the season and the water depth and showed that Bovan Lake was of satisfactory ecological status and water quality at all localities, and meets the needs for all intended purposes.

A novel magnetic polymer/bentonite composite was prepared by suspension copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the presence of magnetic bentonite (MB-PGME) and functionalized with ethylene diamine and hexamethylene diamine (MB-PGME-ED and MB-PGME-HD). The obtained samples were characterized in terms of structure as well as thermal, magnetic and morphological properties. The sorption of rhenium (Re) and tungsten (W) from aqueous solution onto MB-PGME-ED and MB-PGME-HD was investigated considering their contact time and different initial ion concentration, giving possibility for usage of these composites as commercial sorbents. The sorption system follows the pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models. The results indicated a better fit with the Freundlich isotherm model.

Isoamyl 4-methoxycinnamate (IAMC) is an organic compound belonging to UV filters, part of many cosmetic products that aim to protect human skin and hair from harmful solar radiation. Numerous studies conducted in recent decades have confirmed the presence of IAMC in the environmental waters and its toxicity to aquatic species. Low concentrations of this compound in environmental samples require sample preparation that achieves a high enrichment factor. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) achieves a high efficiency of extraction of organic compounds and higher enrichment factor compared to liquid-liquid extractions. In this paper, sample preparation involves the SPE of IAMC using Oasis HLB cartridges. Several experimental variables, such as pH value and volume of sample, eluent type, eluent volume, and salt content were considered during the optimization process. The eluted compound was analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Based on the recovery data, the optimal parameters of the SPE method were obtained: extraction from 50 mL of the aqueous sample without added salt, initial pH of the sample set to 8, and dichloromethane/methanol mixture used as an organic solvent for elution. The optimized SPE procedure is suitable for the analysis of IAMC in water. The recovery was 98%, and the enrichment factor was 150.