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Nanocellulose Hydrosponges: Stormwater Remediation of 6PPD and 6PPD-Quinone

AJAS · 2026 Environmental Engineering (inferred)

Lakshmi Agrawal · Washington State Academy of Sciences

Overview

N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) is an antioxidant and antiozonant widely used in all US Tire Manufacturers Association tires to prevent degradation. When exposed to ground-level ozone, 6PPD oxidizes to form 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q), a compound acutely toxic to aquatic organisms (especially Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch) that are vital to fisheries, ecosystems, Indigenous cultures, and economic growth. Without a commercially available alternative, urgent environmental concerns have been raised regarding the removal of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q from aquatic environments. To address this challenge, the nitro-oxidation process (NOP) offers a sustainable route by converting lignocellulosic biomass into carboxylated cellulose nanofibers (CNFs)—emerging nanomaterials with high strength, large surface area, and tunable surface chemistry. These traits give CNFs tremendous potential as building blocks for biocompatible and biodegradable advanced materials, including hydrosponges, which were evaluated in this study for their ability to remove 6PPD and 6PPD-Q. The hydrosponges were synthesized using a freeze thaw method and crosslinked with aluminum and citric acid to study the effect of surface charge on 6PPD-quinone adsorption. 6PPD was generated using synthetic tire wear particle (TWP) leachate. Adsorption studies were conducted to assess the effects of contact time, concentration, and pH, followed by testing in wastewater and stormwater. The hydrosponges were characterized using SEM-EDX, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and XPS to evaluate structure, composition, and surface properties. SEM-EDX imaging confirmed rapid adsorption of tire wear particles by the hydrosponges within 5 minutes, and TGA analysis showed increased residual mass after adsorption, indicating the incorporation of tire-derived material and improved thermal stability. FTIR and XPS results suggest that adsorption occurs through a combination of physical entrapment within the porous structure and chemical interactions between CNF carboxyl groups and functional groups on 6PPD/6PPD-Q. While quantitative adsorption capacities are pending LC-MS analysis, these preliminary findings demonstrate that aluminum- and citric-acid-crosslinked cellulose hydrosponges are capable of capturing tire-derived contaminants under stormwater-relevant conditions. Together, these results indicate that CNF-based hydrosponges represent a promising, energy-efficient, and biodegradable materials platform for mitigating 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone pollution in urban watershed systems.

Competition history

  • AJAS 2026 Category not listed

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Source: AAAS Annual Meeting (Confex) / American Junior Academy of Science

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