A low-cost cellulose-based composite as an efficient solid phase extraction sorbent for the determination of antibiotics in water

Abstract

Pharmaceutical pollutants in water pose significant environmental and public health risks, particularly in regions with limited monitoring capabilities. This study presents a low-cost, cellulose-based solid-phase extraction (SPE) adsorbent (C/PVPP/MDI) for the determination of five antibiotics: tetracycline (TET), ampicillin (AMP), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), penicillin V (PEN V), and chloramphenicol (CAP) in water. The adsorbent was synthesized by cross-linking cellulose with poly(vinyl-polypyrrolidone) (PVPP) and 4,4-methylenebisphenyldiisocyanate (MDI). It exhibited excellent analytical performance with low detection limits (0.03–2.07 ng L⁻¹), strong linearity (R² > 0.99), and high recoveries (84.8–97.6%) in both tap and river water, comparable to a commercial hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) adsorbent (87.0–97.3%). Additionally, the C/PVPP/MDI adsorbent was reusable for up to five cycles without significant performance loss and costs approximately 50% less than commercial alternatives. These findings demonstrate the potential of C/PVPP/MDI as a sustainable and affordable SPE material for environmental monitoring of antibiotic contaminants, particularly in developing countries where access to commercial materials is limited.