Spent coffee grounds-derived carbon material as an effective adsorbent for removing multiple contaminants from wastewater: A comprehensive kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic study

• Published in: Journal of water process engineering 2024-06, Vol.63, p.105507, Article 105507
• Main Authors: Milanković, V., Tasić, T., Brković, S., Potkonjak, N., Unterweger, C., Bajuk-Bogdanović, D., Pašti, I., Lazarević-Pašti, T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Antibiotics; Biowaste carbon material; Dyes; Pesticides
• ISSN: 2214-7144; 2214-7144
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.105507

Environmental contamination from various industrial sources poses a significant global concern, demanding effective remediation strategies. This study investigates the efficacy of spent coffee grounds-derived carbon material in removing various contaminants, including organophosphate pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, and cationic dyes from aqueous solutions. Adsorption experiments were conducted at different temperatures (25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C), and the adsorption behavior was analyzed using various kinetic (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, intraparticle diffusion) and isotherm models (Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, Dubinin-Radushkevich). Our findings reveal a complex adsorption process involving both monolayer and multilayer adsorption on the heterogeneous surface of the material. Temperature significantly influenced adsorption behavior, affecting maximum capacities and interactions. Using a material concentration of 0.5 mg mL−1 increases adsorption capacities for both pesticides, reaching 92.0 mg g−1 for malathion and 259 mg g−1 for chlorpyrifos adsorption. At a material concentration of 0.1 mg mL−1, the carbon material exhibited high adsorption capacities for methylene blue, rhodamine B, amoxicillin, and ceftriaxone, reaching values of 2085 mg g−1, 8250 mg g−1, 82 mg g−1, and 181 mg g−1, respectively. The adsorbent was successfully regenerated using 25 % ethanol solution and reused for at least 10 cycles without significantly impacting the adsorption capacity. These results underscore the potential of spent coffee grounds-derived carbon material as an efficient adsorbent for diverse contaminants, highlighting its promising role in environmental remediation efforts. [Display omitted] •Spent coffee grounds-based material was prepared and activated with H3PO4 and CO2.•SCG-900PC exhibited rapid remediation of pesticides, dyes, and antibiotics.•The Freundlich and Langmuir models describe the adsorption well for all contaminants.•SCG-900PC remains effective in adsorbing contaminants under varied conditions.•The increasing temperature increased the adsorption capacity for most contaminants.