Functionalized SBA-15/FeO mesoporous for the removal of glyphosate herbicide

Glyphosate is a phytotoxic compound widely applied as systemic, non-selective, post-emergence herbicide. It is one of the most detected pollutants in surface natural waters and its concentration usually exceeds the regulated concentration of 0.1 μg/L. Glyphosate toxic and endocrine disrupting properties are nowadays well documented and Policy makers are currently working on decisions about permissions on glyphosate use. The present work describes the synthesis, the characterization and the application of SBA-15/FeO, a mesoporous silica based material, specifically synthesized to promote adsorption of glyphosate from different types of environmental water matrices. The sorbent shows quantitative removal of the herbicide from inlet and treated effluents of wastewaters. Moreover, the reusable properties of the sorbent were assessed for several removal cycles, without significant loss in performances.