Acrylic acid copolymers as adsorbent materials for the removal of anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals from synthetic biomedical wastewaters

Recent advances of copolymer for water treatment

Increasing water pollution due to anthropogenic activities prompts the quest for an effective water treatment method. Polymeric materials have gained attention as adsorbents for water purification. Membranes are majorly made from homopolymeric materials. However, recent studies have focused on using copolymeric materials for improved performance. In this review, the basics of copolymerization including various types of copolymers, synthetic approaches, and their applications in various water pollutants removal are discussed in detail. Advances in water treatment technology using copolymeric materials as adsorbent/membranes in the last 4 years are covered with insights into the future outlook and areas of improvement in terms of copolymer composites for water treatment. Studies from the literature did not only reveal effectiveness of copolymer as a flocculant/antifouling materials and in removal of selective toxic metals, oil, and microbes but also demonstrated recyclability of the copolymer sorbents/membrane. Full exploration of unique copolymer textural and structural properties could lead to great advancement in water treatment process. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The copolymer types and synthetic methods are discussed. Application of copolymer as adsorbent/membranes for water treatment is presented. Recent advances show good pollutants removal for toxic metals, oil, and organics. Copolymer composites have great potential as adsorbent/membranes for future use in water treatment processes.

Efficient removal of Rhodamine B dye using biochar as an adsorbent: Study the performance, kinetics, thermodynamics, adsorption isotherms and its reusability

Removal of toxic dyes such as Rhodamine B is essential as it pollutes aqueous and soil streams as well. This comprehensive study explores the potential of Calophyllum inophyllum seed char as an efficient bio-adsorbent based on their characteristic properties and a comparative study between various carbon-based adsorbents on the adsorption capacity of Rhodamine B dye. In this study, the char was prepared from Calophyllum inophyllum seed using a slow pyrolysis process (298 K/min) at an optimum temperature of 823 K and used as an adsorbent for the removal of Rhodamine B from water. The resulting char was mesoporous and had 155.389 m2/g surface areas (BET) and 0.628 cc/g pore volume. The formation of pores was observed from the SEM analysis. The adsorption studies were tested and optimized through various parameters such as solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, stirring speed, contact time, and solution temperature. Maximum 95.5 % removal of Rhodamine B was possible at the pH: 2, stirring speed: 100 rpm, time: 25 min, temperature 308 K, and dose: 1.2 g/L. The highest adsorption capacity at equilibrium was determined to be 169.5 (mg/g) through Langmuir adsorption isotherm studies and followed pseudo 2nd order kinetics. The thermodynamics study confirmed the adsorption processes were spontaneous (ΔG°=-0.735 kJ/mol) and endothermic (ΔH° = 4.1 kJ/mol) processes. The reusability study confirmed that the mesoporous char can be reused as an efficient adsorbent for up to 3 cycles for environmental remediation.