The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in water represents an outstanding environmental issue due to their therapeutic and/or biological activity, even at trace levels. Among these pharmaceuticals is acetaminophen, a non-prescription analgesic widely consumed worldwide. It is among the six most often pharmaceutical ingredients detected in drinking water. Different treatment methods such as ozonation, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation process were used to remove acetaminophen in bodies of water. In this study, an electrochemical method was used to remove acetaminophen in aqueous samples. Electrolytic parameters such as pH, applied voltage, electrodes used and electrolysis time were investigated on a solution containing only acetaminophen. Using the optimized parameters, the applicability of the method was applied to environmental samples spiked with acetaminophen. Kinetics studies were monitored using absorbance and high-performance liquid chromatography to monitor the changes. Results showed changes in the absorbance profile and a reduction in the chromatogram that pertains to acetaminophen as the electrolysis time increase. With these results, there is a great potential for the use of electrochemical method in removing acetaminophen in aqueous samples.

Removal of acetaminophen in aqueous samples using an electrochemical method

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.