Adsorption Mechanisms for Endocrine Disruptors in Water

Endocrine disruptors are a class of synthetic or natural contaminants that interfere with hormonal systems in aquatic organisms and humans. Such compounds, including steroidal oestrogens and phenolic xenoestrogens, often resist conventional wastewater treatment and persist in surface and groundwater. Adsorption has emerged as an effective removal strategy, relying on the affinity between target molecules and solid surfaces. Key mechanisms comprise physisorption, driven by electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions and π–π stacking, and chemisorption, where covalent or coordination bonds may form. Porous materials, from activated carbons and biochars to nanocomposites and metal oxides, provide tailored surface areas and functional groups that influence uptake capacity. Adsorption kinetics typically follow pseudo-second-order models, indicating that surface reaction rates limit removal, while equilibrium data are described by Langmuir or Freundlich isotherms, reflecting monolayer or heterogeneous adsorption. Recent advances focus on sustainable adsorbents, regeneration methods and integration with continuous-flow systems, underscoring the global significance of safeguarding water resources against endocrine-active pollutants.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have explored biochar derived from spent mushroom substrate as a low-cost sorbent for hormone removal. Pyrolysis at 600 °C generated a highly porous matrix, which exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity exceeding 230 mg progesterone per gram and nearly 140 mg ethinylestradiol per gram under batch conditions. Experimental and fixed-bed tests demonstrated removal efficiencies above 80 per cent for both compounds. The sorption data were best described by the Langmuir model for progesterone and the Freundlich model for ethinylestradiol, emphasising the importance of surface heterogeneity. Microstructural analyses revealed enhanced porosity and abundant functional groups, suggesting that a combination of pore filling, hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions underpins contaminant uptake. This work highlights the viability of agricultural residues for scalable water-treatment applications.

Adsorption Mechanisms for Endocrine Disruptors in Water publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in adsorption mechanisms for endocrine disruptors in water across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Endocrine disruptor: A compound that interferes with hormonal signalling in organisms, potentially causing adverse health effects.

Adsorption isotherm: A mathematical model describing the relationship between solute concentration and adsorbent uptake at equilibrium.

Physisorption: A reversible adsorption process driven by physical forces such as van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding.

Chemisorption: Adsorption involving the formation of chemical bonds between adsorbate and surface functional groups.

Langmuir isotherm: A model assuming monolayer adsorption on a uniform surface with finite adsorption sites.

Freundlich isotherm: An empirical model describing adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces with varying energy sites.

Pseudo-second-order kinetics: A kinetic model indicating that adsorption rate depends on the square of the number of unoccupied sites.

References

1. Biochar from fungiculture waste for adsorption of endocrine disruptors in water. Scientific Reports (2022).
2. Recent Advances on Innovative Materials from Biowaste Recycling for the Removal of Environmental Estrogens from Water and Soil. Materials (2022).
3. Use of the Solid By-Product of Anaerobic Digestion of Biomass to Remove Anthropogenic Organic Pollutants with Endocrine Disruptive Activity. Processes (2021).
4. Sequestration of steroidal estrogen in aqueous samples using an adsorption mechanism: a systemic scientometric review. RSC Advances (2023).