Cuban natural palygorskite nanoclays for the removal of sulfamethoxazole from aqueous solutions

Water pollution with pharmaceutical and personal care products has become a serious environmental. A reasonable strategy to mitigate the problem involves absorbent materials. In particular, the use of natural clays is an advantageous alternative considering their high adsorption capacity and compatibility with the environment. In the present work, the efficacy of a Cuban natural clay (palygorskite, Pal) as support of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) ―an antibiotic considered an emerging contaminant (EC)― was evaluated. The amount of SMX incorporated onto clay was determined by UV spectroscopy. The resulting composite material was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG), zeta potential (ZP), nitrogen adsorption measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The drug desorption studies in aqueous solution indicated the reversibility of the incorporation process, suggesting the potential use of the Pal nanoclay as an effective support of SMX and hence, a good prospect for water decontamination.