3D printed cartridges for the removal of pharmaceuticals from water

• Published in: Talanta open Vol. 9; p. 100299
• Main Authors: Thakuria, Ankur Jyoti, Suryavanshi, Purushottam, Banerjee, Subham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: 3D printing; Cartridge; FDM; HME; Pharmaceuticals; Wastewater; Cartridge; HME; Wastewater; FDM; 3D printing; Pharmaceuticals
• ISSN: 2666-8319; 2666-8319
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talo.2024.100299

•PETG composite cartridges were fabricated using PVA, Affnisol™, and Eudragit®EPO as a pore-forming agent with the help of FDM 3D printing technology.•The FDM-mediated cartridges showed excellent reproducibility and resolution.•The proposed methodology showed excellent performance in extracting DS and IND from water solution with a% extraction recovery of more than 80 %. The entry of pharmaceuticals into water is a key worldwide concern, with drugs being identified in all near-aqueous ecologies at often worrying concentrations. Pharmaceutical waste in environmental water has been shown to affect environmental equilibrium and pose a risk to humans adversely. In the present study, we fabricated a novel system containing 3D printed sustainable, porous Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) cartridges and RP-HPLC-DAD methodology to remove non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac sodium (DS) and indomethacin (IND) from water samples called “Cartridges.” The device was fabricated using fused deposition modeling (FDM)-mediated 3D printing technology using indigenous hot-melt extruded filaments. To enable FDM 3D printing, the filaments were fabricated using PETG as a primary material and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Affnisol™, and Eudragit®EPO as water-soluble pore-forming materials. We showed that the thermoplastic, recyclable PETG composite material, which presents microporous properties after removal of PVA, Affnisol™, and Eudragit®EPO, is effective for extracting both drugs from water solution. The usefulness of the current strategy was demonstrated by the extraction of DS and IND from an aqueous solution followed by RP-HPLC analysis. The% extraction recovery was more than 80 % for both drugs, with an overall relative standard deviation of less than 3 %. The proposed approach can bring a ray of hope in extraction and sample preparation in the analytical industry due to a shift to the use of sustainable cartridges with customizable shapes, sizes, and chemical properties. [Display omitted]