Polyvinyl alcohol-montmorillonite composites for water purification: Analysis of clay mineral cation exchange and composite particle synthesis.

Municipal and residential water purification rely heavily on activated carbon (AC), but regeneration of AC is costly and cannot be performed at the point-of-use. Clay minerals (CMs) comprise a class of naturally abundant materials with known capacities for analyte adsorbance. However, the gel-forming properties of CMs in aqueous suspension pose problems for these materials being used in water-purification.

Occurrence, distribution, and seasonality of emerging contaminants in urban watersheds.

The widespread occurrence of natural and synthetic organic chemicals in surface waters can cause ecological risks and human health concerns. This study measured a suite of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water samples collected by the U.S.