Effective removal of thiabendazole pesticide from polluted water using metal–organic frameworks

Pesticides have become a common environmental pollutant in bodies of water in recent decades, negatively affecting the aquatic ecosystems along with their living organisms. In this regard, thiabendazole (TBZ) has emerged as one of the most detected pesticides in wastewater due to its widespread application in agriculture. Despite its toxicological effects and persistence, no technology is currently available for its efficient removal. Recent adsorption strategies using eco-friendly porous materials have emerged as an effective, low-cost, and easy-to-operate alternative for water pollutant removal. Among them, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were selected here as attractive adsorbents due to their outstanding water stability and a priori, compatible pore sizes with the TBZ molecule. Upon screening of 8 MOFs with different natures and structures, the most promising material was the microporous bismuth(III)-ellagate SU-101, with remarkable removal efficiencies (89% in just 5 min). The material was successfully shaped into micrometric pellets and packed into a column for its suitable implementation in a continuous flow device, simulating a real decontamination environment by using pollutant-doped tap water. This SU-101 column was able to efficiently eliminate TBZ during 4.6 consecutive days, with the absence of significant MOF degradation (< 1.5%), and was successfully regenerated (88%) preserving functionality over 2 cycles. These resulting outcomes pave the way for further SU-101 implementation in real decontamination processes.