Ricerc@Sapienza

Hydrophobic pollutants as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) have frequently been identified in several matrices of aquatic ecosystems.
The knowledge of the actual concentrations of these pollutants is essential for integrated water quality management. Due to their very low, but toxicologically relevant levels in natural waters, direct determination of their concentrations is difficult with common analytical techniques.

The toxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) is well known, and for this reason studying and monitoring these chemicals is fundamental. Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are made of an adsorbent material widely used in the industrial field for the removal of micropollutants. The first step in this work was to perform a physico-chemical characterization of the adsorbent, focused on the analytical use of it.