Abstract:
Removal of bisphenol A (BPA) using the ribbon plant was studied in a batch
system in glass bottles. The effects of ribbon plant age, BPA concentration, and pH on
BPA removal were investigated. BPA uptake mechanism and BPA removal in the
hazardous waste landfill leachate and the industrial wastewater from the plastic factory
were also studied. Ribbon plants at the ages of 2, 4, and 6 months were used to remove
synthetic BPA solution at 20 μM of BPA for 20 days. The results showed that ribbon
plant age of 2 months had the highest BPA removal ability at 83% followed by 4 and 6
months plant age at 59% and 55%, respectively. Ribbon plant age of 2 months had the
highest BPA uptake capacity at 0.37 μM/g dry weight. Thus, ribbon plant age of 2
months was selected for further study. BPA removal in various BPA concentrations at
20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150, and 200 μM were 84%, 77%, 62%, 60%, 56%, 53, and 39%,
respectively in 2 month old ribbon plants. When the BPA concentration was increased
to 200 μM, the BPA uptake capacity was 2.01 μM/g dry weight. In the study of pH at
4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 BPA removal were 85 %, 89 %, 93 %, 88 %, and 76%, respectively.
The results showed that BPA was almost completely removed from the solution at pH
6. This study indicates that different ribbon plant ages and BPA concentrations give
significant differences, but difference in the pH was not correlated to significant
difference in BPA removal ability (p-value<0.05). Additionally, the accumulation
levels of BPA in the roots were higher than in the stems, but BPA accumulation was
non detectable in the leaves. After this, the hazardous waste landfill leachate was
filtrated by using filter paper (GF/C and No. 5). The ribbon plant could remove BPA
from the hazardous waste landfill with 20% leachate at 76% and the industrial
wastewater from the plastic factory at 42%. Ribbon plant could remove BPA and
survive in both wastewater and, at low BPA concentrations, removal efficiency was
better than at high BPA concentrations. In addition, leachate precipitated with 25 %
alum resulted in BPA removal of 36% at 20 days. Given these results, the ribbon plant
has potential for practical application to remove BPA from the hazardous waste
landfill leachates and the industrial wastewater from the plastic factories.