Developing a cost and time efficient strategy for assessing novel materials for wastewater treatment with non-target screening analysis

This study presents a methodological screening strategy for assessing the removal organic micropollutants (OMPs) using a non-target screening (NTS) workflow integrated with liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). To demonstrate this approach, three distinct adsorbent materials—a novel rice husk-derived silica (RH-SiO 2 ) and commercial adsorbents (GAC and Resinex)—were used in lab-scale column experiments with secondary effluent wastewater from one wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Hierarchical cluster analysis of the non-target features was employed to characterize diverse removal patterns across the three materials under specific empty bed contact time (EBCT) conditions. The NTS approach enabled the identification of unique removal patterns, such as the capture of poly(propylene glycols) (PPGs) and their carboxylate metabolites by RH-SiO 2 , which would have been overlooked in traditional lab-scale evaluation of novel adsorbents. Furthermore, the identification of 37 compounds with different confidence levels allowed for an exploratory correlation between removal behaviours and their physicochemical properties. By moving beyond traditional target-based methods, this study outlines a strategic pathway for using NTS to characterize the screening potential of new treatment technologies and extract valuable information on chemical-material interactions, providing a foundation for future, more intensive assessments.