Batch-to-Flow Translation of β-Cyclodextrin Polymer Adsorption for Emerging Contaminant Removal: Hydrodynamic and Operational Validation

Translating adsorption performance from batch experiments to continuous-flow operation is a key step toward practical water-treatment applications. In this study, a laboratory-scale continuous adsorption system based on a water-insoluble β-cyclodextrin-epichlorohydrin (β-CD-EPI) polymer was validated from hydrodynamic, adsorptive, and operational perspectives. Downflow operation caused progressive bed compaction and excessive pressure development, whereas a 90 mm column operated in upflow mobile-bed mode, with visually observed bed expansion, showed comparatively stable pressure-drop behavior at superficial linear velocities below approximately 12 m h−1. Under these controlled high-loading conditions, removal was strongly contaminant-dependent: cyproconazole exceeded 90%, acetaminophen reached 72–77%, hydrochlorothiazide reached 40–65%, ciprofloxacin reached 24–50%, and furosemide remained below 30%. The relative performance for furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide differed from that predicted by previous batch-derived adsorption parameters, demonstrating that batch results cannot be directly extrapolated to dynamic operation. Competitive adsorption in binary and ternary mixtures reduced contaminant removal, while cyproconazole removal decreased from >90% in tap water to 48–55% in secondary-treated wastewater, demonstrating the relevance of the aqueous matrix under the tested continuous-flow conditions. Operational screening tests showed that desorption with 220 mM acetate buffer at pH 4.0 recovered >80% of the retained cyproconazole within 10 min in the tested sequence, followed by a two-stage rinse that restored the operational pH. These preliminary conditions require confirmation through replicated adsorption–desorption cycles under continuous-flow operation. These results identify laboratory-scale hydrodynamic, adsorption, matrix, and regeneration considerations that require confirmation through fixed-condition, long-term testing during subsequent process development.