plants; they pass unaffected through the bio-bed and out in the recipient. If one just
considers estrogen-active compounds, there are more than 100 different compounds
with hormonal activity, i.e., they interact with the hormone receptor and thereby
cause a physiological response. Because microorganisms are not efficient in removing such compounds, other methods have to be used. Advanced oxidation processes
would be one alternative, but they are regarded as too expensive. Therefore,
adsorption methods could offer an alternative, provided they are efficient enough
and robust enough to withstand the conditions in a wastewater plant. Natural
protein-based affinity binders (receptors or antibodies) will not survive in the
environment because proteases from microorganisms will degrade them. An attractive alternative is then use of MIPs. These can be made selective, have good binding
properties, are inert in the sense that they can be autoclaved, and are not degraded
by microbes. MIPs can be introduced into cryogels (as described above) and it is
possible to contain cryogels in plastic housings (see Sect. 10). The result of
combining these three (the MIP, the cryogel, and the plastic housing) is a tool for
Water
outlet
Peristaltic
pump
Glass
column
Peristaltic
pump
Water
inlet
Water flow
Air pump
Peristaltic
pump
Glass
column
Peristaltic
pump
Water
inlet
Water
outlet
MIP(NIP)/PVA-based
gel formed inside the
plastic carrier
Kaldnes carrier
(K1 type)
SEM image of macroporous
gel embedded with MIP
B2: One layer of MGP
B1: One layer of MGP
Moving MGPs reactor
Packed MGPs reactor
a
b
Fig. 16 (a) Appearance of an empty Kaldnes carrier (left) and an MGP, i.e., MIP/PVA-MG (MG
macroporous gel) formed inside a plastic carrier (center). SEM image ofthe MIP/PVA-MG (right).
(b) Packed MGP reactor (left) and a moving MGP reactor (right). B1: One layer of MGPs in a
packed MGP reactor. The arrows show the water flow routes in the column. B2: One layer of
MGPs in a moving MGP reactor. The arrows show the perpetual motion of the MGPs in the
column. (From [111] with permission)
272
B. Mattiasson
considers estrogen-active compounds, there are more than 100 different compounds
with hormonal activity, i.e., they interact with the hormone receptor and thereby
cause a physiological response. Because microorganisms are not efficient in removing such compounds, other methods have to be used. Advanced oxidation processes
would be one alternative, but they are regarded as too expensive. Therefore,
adsorption methods could offer an alternative, provided they are efficient enough
and robust enough to withstand the conditions in a wastewater plant. Natural
protein-based affinity binders (receptors or antibodies) will not survive in the
environment because proteases from microorganisms will degrade them. An attractive alternative is then use of MIPs. These can be made selective, have good binding
properties, are inert in the sense that they can be autoclaved, and are not degraded
by microbes. MIPs can be introduced into cryogels (as described above) and it is
possible to contain cryogels in plastic housings (see Sect. 10). The result of
combining these three (the MIP, the cryogel, and the plastic housing) is a tool for
Water
outlet
Peristaltic
pump
Glass
column
Peristaltic
pump
Water
inlet
Water flow
Air pump
Peristaltic
pump
Glass
column
Peristaltic
pump
Water
inlet
Water
outlet
MIP(NIP)/PVA-based
gel formed inside the
plastic carrier
Kaldnes carrier
(K1 type)
SEM image of macroporous
gel embedded with MIP
B2: One layer of MGP
B1: One layer of MGP
Moving MGPs reactor
Packed MGPs reactor
a
b
Fig. 16 (a) Appearance of an empty Kaldnes carrier (left) and an MGP, i.e., MIP/PVA-MG (MG
macroporous gel) formed inside a plastic carrier (center). SEM image ofthe MIP/PVA-MG (right).
(b) Packed MGP reactor (left) and a moving MGP reactor (right). B1: One layer of MGPs in a
packed MGP reactor. The arrows show the water flow routes in the column. B2: One layer of
MGPs in a moving MGP reactor. The arrows show the perpetual motion of the MGPs in the
column. (From [111] with permission)
272
B. Mattiasson