ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Areca catechu activated carbon-based thin film microextraction: an alternative solution for extracting bisphenol A from environmental samples

Fu Siong Julius Yong, Saw Hong Loh, Hanis Mohd Yusoff, Poh Wai Chia, Kamariah Bakar, Su-Yin Kan, Rock Keey Liew, Mohd Zharif Ahmad Thirmizir, and Azlin Mohmad Azman

Institute of Climate Adaptation and Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia

E-mail: pohwai@umt.edu.my

Received: 8 June 2025  Accepted: 13 October 2025

Abstract:

Concerns about bisphenol A in the environment continue to grow as it is commonly used as a raw material in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resin. Various methods have been developed over the years to address pollution; adsorption is the most economical approach among these efforts. In this study, activated carbon derived from Areca catechu biomass is integrated into thin film microextraction (TFME). It is demonstrated that activated carbon from Areca catechu efficiently extracts bisphenol A from various water samples, including lake, river, and tap water. Parameters such as the mass of adsorbent, mixing speed, pH of the sample solution, extraction duration, type of desorption solvent, and its volume and duration of desorption have been tested and optimised to achieve an acceptable and economic result within 1 h of extraction. With the optimised parameters and method, we achieved LOD values of 7.3, 7.1, and 4.9 µg L⁻¹ for seawater, river water, and tap water, respectively, and enrichment factors of 36, 38, and 33 for seawater, river water, and tap water, respectively. This method also yielded an overall score of 0.54 in the AGREEprep evaluation application, indicating a balance between environmental responsibility and operational effectiveness. Additionally, good repeatability was demonstrated using the developed method, with relative standard deviations of ≤ 8.2%. These values indicate that this activated carbon TFME is a functional system suitable for integrated sampling and sample preparation of various routine and on-site applications.

Keywords: Areca catechu; Bisphenol A (BPA); Organic biomass; Adsorption; Thin film microextraction (TFME); Activated-carbon thin film microextraction (AC-TFME)

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04449-y

Chemical Papers 80 (2) 1251–1263 (2026)