Adsorption of amoxicillin onto high surface area–activated carbons based on olive biomass: kinetic and equilibrium studies

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-11, Vol.27 (33), p.41394-41404
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, Daniel Lucas Costa, Machado, Fernando Machado, Osório, Alice Gonçalves, de Azevedo, Cristiane Ferraz, Lima, Eder Claudio, da Silva, Raphaelle S., Lima, Diana Ramos, Gonçalves, Fernanda Medeiros
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Adsorption; Amoxicillin; Antibiotics; Aquatic Pollution; Aqueous solutions; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biomass; Charcoal; Contaminants; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Empirical equations; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Hospital wastes; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Infrared analysis; Infrared spectroscopy; Kinetics; Medical wastes; Microwave oven; Morphology; Muffle furnaces; Nonlinear equations; Olea; Penicillin; Pulp; Purification; Research Article; Scanning electron microscopy; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater; Wastewater purification; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution Control; Zinc chloride
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09583-6

This study presents the extraction of antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) from aqueous solution employing activated carbons (AC) from olive biomass (OB). Two AC were prepared using ZnCl 2 (activator agent), and a conventional muffle furnace (ACF) or microwave oven (ACMW). The structure, morphology, and textural properties from both AC were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), pH of point-zero-charge (pH PZC ), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherms. AC with mesoporous structures rich in oxygenated groups and high specific area (as high as 1742 m 2 g −1 ) were helpful for the efficient and fast adsorption of AMX. The Avrami kinetic nonlinear equation showed the best fitting for the empirical data when related to the pseudo-1st and pseudo-2nd order. The isothermal experimental data followed the Liu nonlinear model, displaying at 25 °C the maximum sorption capacity of 237.02 and 166.96 mg g −1 for the ACF and ACMW, respectively. An adsorption test with synthetic hospital effluent was carried out to evaluate the possibility of applying both adsorbents in wastewater purification. The purification efficiency was up to 94.4% and 91.96% for ACF and ACMW, respectively. Therefore, the AC obtained from OB (containing a mixture of seed, pulp, and olive peel) has a high potential for application in removing emerging contaminants from the wastewater.