Determination of the water-soluble polymer poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) in wastewater effluents by continuous-flow off-line pyrolysis-GC/MS

• DOI: 10.1007/s43832-022-00010-0
• Publication Date: 2022-03-15T11:02:29Z
• Authors: Nada Vidovic; Lisa-Maria Krauskopf; Ivana Jovancicevic; Vesna Antic; Jan Schwarzbauer
• Keywords: Biofouling; Reclaimed water

Abstract High production rates and wide areas of application water-soluble polymers indicate their potential occurrence in wastewater. Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) is such a poorly biodegradable polymer with non-ionic, non-sticky, non-toxic thermosensitive properties. Its field applications covers being constituent aerosol sprays, pump lotions as well its usage flocculant wastewater treatment plants. However, although discharged into sewage plants at high amounts, analytical methods for determining water soluble polymers, particular PNVCL, environmental samples are still missing. Therefore, this study aims developing an efficient method detecting trace levels poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) wastewaters by applying continuous-flow off-line Py-GC/MS the first time. The approach was based on identification specific pyrolysis products (ε-caprolactam, N-vinylcaprolactam) that haven been used following calibration process allowed quantitative determination. An evaluation including specificity, linearity, sensitivity reproducibility characterized very suitable detection complex matrices wastewaters. Finally, transferability has checked analyzing real from plant effluent. Here limitations especially due to matrix effects lowering pyrolysis-based method. Nevertheless, contamination approx. 70 µg/L determined pointing huge emission PNVCL aquatic environment general relevance synthetic polymer. Noteworthy, report samples.