Feasibility study on a new pomelo peel derived biochar for tetracycline antibiotics removal in swine wastewater

Evaluation and optimization of six adsorbents for removal of tetracycline from swine wastewater: Experiments and response surface analysis

The removal of tetracycline antibiotics using adsorbents is becoming an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method. This study systematically analyzed the stability, structure, morphology, and chemical properties of various adsorbents. Batch adsorption experiments (pH, time, temperature, tetracycline concentration, and adsorbent dosage) were conducted to compare the adsorption capacity of the six adsorbents (biochar, activated carbon, montmorillonite, zeolite, chitosan, and polymerized aluminum chloride) for tetracycline removal. The results indicated that montmorillonite had the highest adsorption efficiency, followed by biochar, with chitosan showing the lowest efficiency. At an adsorbent dose of 25 g/L and an initial tetracycline concentration of 120 mg/L, the removal rates of tetracycline by montmorillonite, biochar, and chitosan were 97.6%, 69.3%, and 12.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the removal rate of tetracycline by biochar, following the response surface methodology optimal mode, increased by 5.5%. The Elovich model was better suited to explain the adsorption process of tetracycline compared to the conventional pseudo-first kinetic model and second-order kinetic model. The isothermal adsorption model suggested that both chemisorption and physisorption occurred in all removal processes, in which chemisorption dominated. Tetracycline was efficiently adsorbed through the combined effects of pore filling, electrostatic attraction, π-π interactions, and complexation reactions of surface functional groups. Additionally, montmorillonite demonstrated superior performance as an adsorbent for tetracycline removal from swine wastewater compared to the other adsorbents studied.

Efficient Removal of Tetracycline from Water by One-Step Pyrolytic Porous Biochar Derived from Antibiotic Fermentation Residue

The disposal and treatment of antibiotic residues is a recognized challenge due to the huge production, high moisture content, high processing costs, and residual antibiotics, which caused environmental pollution. Antibiotic residues contained valuable components and could be recycled. Using a one-step controllable pyrolysis technique in a tubular furnace, biochar (OSOBs) was produced without the preliminary carbonization step, which was innovative and time- and cost-saving compared to traditional methods. The main aim of this study was to explore the adsorption and removal efficiency of tetracycline (TC) in water using porous biochar prepared from oxytetracycline fermentation residues in one step. A series of characterizations were conducted on the prepared biochar materials, and the effects of biochar dosage, initial tetracycline concentration, reaction time, and reaction temperature on the adsorption capacity were studied. The experimental results showed that at 298 K, the maximum adsorption capacity of OSOB-3-700 calculated by the Langmuir model reached 1096.871 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics fitting results indicated that the adsorption of tetracycline on biochar was more consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which was a chemical adsorption. The adsorption isotherm fitting results showed that the Langmuir model better described the adsorption process of tetracycline on biochar, indicating that tetracycline was adsorbed in a monolayer on specific homogeneous active sites through chemical adsorption, consistent with the kinetic conclusions. The adsorption process occurred on the surface of the biochar containing rich active sites, and the chemical actions such as electron exchange promoted the adsorption process.

Covalent organic framework aerogel for high-performance solid-phase extraction of tetracycline antibiotics: Experiment and simulated calculation on adsorption behavior

Three-dimensional sponge-architecture covalent organic frameworks (COFs)-aerogel was successfully designed and synthesized via a freeze-drying template approach, and utilized as an efficient sorbent in solid-phase extraction (SPE). A method for selective enrichment of pharmaceutical contaminants including tetracycline, chlortetracycline, methacycline and oxytetracycline in the environment and food samples was proposed by combining with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). To understand the adsorption mechanism, selectivity test and molecular dynamics (MD) simulated calculation were both carried out. The experimental and in-silico results demonstrated that the COFs-aerogel possessed high selectivity for contaminants with H bond acceptors/donors and good efficiency with maximum adsorption capacity up to 294.1 mg/g. The SPE-based HPLC method worked well in the range of 8-1000 ng/mL, with the need of little dose of adsorbent and sample volume while no need of spectrometer, outgoing the reported adsorbents. Under the optimized conditions, the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSD) of repeatability were within 2.78-6.29 % and 2.44-8.42 % (n = 5). The results meet the current detection requirement for practical applications, and could be extended for further design of promising adsorbents.

One-Pot Preparation of Layered Double Hydroxide-Engineered Boric Acid Root and Application in Wastewater

Heavy metals and organic pollutants are prevalent in water bodies, causing great damage to the environment and human beings. Hence, it is urgent to develop a kind of adsorbent with good performance. Anion interlacing layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a promising adsorbent for the sustainable removal of heavy metal ions and dyes from wastewater. Using aluminum chloride, zinc chloride and ammonium pentaborate tetrahydrate (NH4B5O8 · 4H2O, BA) as raw materials, the LDHs complex (BA-LDHs) of B5O8- intercalation was prepared by one-step hydrothermal method. The BA-LDHs samples were characterized by a X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The results showed that B5O8- was successfully intercalated. Adsorption experimental results suggested that BA-LDHs possess a maximum adsorption capacity of 18.7, 57.5, 70.2, and 3.12 mg·g-1 for Cd(II), Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Methylene blue (MB) at Cs = 2 g·L-1, respectively. The adsorption experiment conforms to the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models, and the kinetic adsorption data are well fitted by the pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic equation. The as-prepared BA-LDHs have potential application prospects in the removal of heavy metals and dyes in wastewater. More importantly, they also provide a strategy for preparing selective adsorbents.

Performance and mechanism of U(vi) removal from solution by humic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticle-modified biochar from filamentous green algae

The adsorbent material humic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticle-modified biochar from filamentous green algae was fabricated by introducing the composites of humic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto biochar from filamentous green algae using the co-precipitation method. Then, the removal of U(vi) from solution by humic acid-Fe3O4/BC was carried out through batch experiments. The results of the characterization showed that the reaction conditions had an important influence on U(vi) removal by humic acid-Fe3O4/BC. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model better illustrate the adsorption process of U(vi) on the surface of humic acid-Fe3O4/BC. The adsorption processes were dominated by chemisorption and monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of U(vi) by humic acid-Fe3O4/BC could be calculated, and it could reach 555.56 mg g-1. The probable mechanisms of U(vi) removal by humic acid-Fe3O4/BC were reduction reaction, inner-sphere surface complexation and electrostatic adsorption. The high stability and reusability of humic acid-Fe3O4/BC made it more promising in U(vi) removal applications.

Synergistic interactions and reaction mechanisms of biochar surface functionalities in antibiotics removal from industrial wastewater

Biochar, a carbon-rich material with a unique surface chemistry (high abundance of surface functional groups, large surface area, and well-distributed), has shown great potential as a sustainable solution for industrial wastewater treatment as compared to conventional industrial wastewater treatment techniques demand substantial energy consumption and generate detrimental byproducts. This critical review emphasizes the surface functionalities formation and development in biochar to enhance its physiochemical properties, for utilization in antibiotics removal. Factors affecting the formation of functionalities, including carbonization processes, feedstock materials, operating parameters, and the influence of pre-post treatments, are thoroughly highlighted to understand the crucial role of factors influencing biochar properties for optimal antibiotics removal. Furthermore, the research explores the removal mechanisms and interactions of biochar-based surface functionalities, hydrogen bonding, encompassing electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, π-π interactions, and electron donor and acceptor interactions, to provide insights into the adsorption/removal behavior of antibiotics on biochar surfaces. The review also explains the mechanism of factors influencing the removal of antibiotics in industrial wastewater treatment, including particle size and pore structure, nature and types of surface functional groups, pH and surface charge, temperature, surface modification strategies, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, biochar dose, pollutant concentration, contact time, and the presence of coexisting ions and other substances. Finally, the study offers reusability and regeneration, challenges and future perspectives on the development of biochar-based adsorbents and their applications in addressing antibiotics. It concludes by summarizing the key findings and emphasizing the significance of biochar as a sustainable and effective solution for mitigating antibiotics contamination in industrial wastewater.

A review on the alternatives to antibiotics and the treatment of antibiotic pollution: Current development and future prospects

Antibiotics, widely used in the fields of medicine, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and agriculture, pose a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. To prevent antibiotic pollution, efforts have been made in recent years to explore alternative options for antibiotics in animal feed, but the effectiveness of these alternatives in replacing antibiotics is not thoroughly understood due to the variation from case to case. Furthermore, a systematic summary of the specific applications and limitations of antibiotic removal techniques in the environment is crucial for developing effective strategies to address antibiotic contamination. This comprehensive review summarized the current development and potential issues on different types of antibiotic substitutes, such as enzyme preparations, probiotics, and plant extracts. Meanwhile, the existing technologies for antibiotic residue removal were discussed under the scope of application and limitation. The present work aims to highlight the strategy of controlling antibiotics from the source and provide valuable insights for green and efficient antibiotic treatment.

A novel synchronous fluorescence spectrometry combined with fluorescence sensitization for the highly sensitive and simultaneous detection of enoxacin, ofloxacin and tetracycline hydrochloride residues in wastewater

The synergistic effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Mg2+ could significantly enhance the fluorescence intensity of enoxacin (ENO) at λex/λem = 269.2 nm/385.6 nm, ofloxacin (OFL) at λex/λem = 290.8 nm/466.2 nm and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) at λex/λem = 372.6 nm/514.8 nm. Moreover, when the wavelength difference (Δλ) was chosen 135 nm, the synchronous fluorescence spectra of the three antibiotic complexes could be well separated and the interference of the samples matrix were eliminated primely. Therefore, only one synchronous fluorescence scan was needed to simultaneously determine the three antibiotics. Based on these facts, a synchronous fluorescence spectrometry combining fluorescence sensitization for highly sensitive and selective determination of ENO, OFL and TCH residues in wastewater was developed for the first time. The experimental results showed that the concentrations of ENO, OFL and TCH in the range of 0.5-550 ng mL-1, 1-1500 ng mL-1 and 10-5500 ng mL-1 showed a good linear relationship with fluorescence intensity. The limits of detection were 0.0599 ng mL-1, 0.115 ng mL-1 and 0.151 ng mL-1, respectively. The recoveries of the actual sample were 87.50%-99.99 %, 93.00%-98.50 % and 85.70%-98.42 %, respectively. Overall, the novel synchronous fluorescence spectrometry established in the experiment has the advantages of high sensitivity, good selectivity, fast detection speed and high accuracy. It has been successfully applied to the detection of residual amounts of ENO, OFL and TCH in wastewater with satisfactory results.

Efficacy of new generation biosorbents for the sustainable treatment of antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes from polluted waste effluent

Antimicrobials are frequently used in both humans and animals for the treatment of bacterially-generated illnesses. Antibiotic usage has increased for more than 40% from last 15 years globally per day in both human populations and farm animals leading to the large-scale discharge of antibiotic residues into wastewater. Most antibiotics end up in sewer systems, either directly from industry or healthcare systems, or indirectly from humans and animals after being partially metabolized or broken down following consumption. To prevent additional antibiotic compound pollution, which eventually impacts on the spread of antibiotic resistance, it is crucial to remove antibiotic residues from wastewater. Antibiotic accumulation and antibiotic resistance genes cannot be effectively and efficiently eliminated by conventional sewage treatment plants. Because of their high energy requirements and operating costs, many of the available technologies are not feasible. However, the biosorption method, which uses low-cost biomass as the biosorbent, is an alternative technique to potentially address these problems. An extensive literature survey focusing on developments in the field was conducted using English language electronic databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Pubag, Google books, and ResearchGate, to understand the relative value of the available antibiotic removal methods. The predominant techniques for eliminating antibiotic residues from wastewater were categorized and defined by example. The approaches were contrasted, and the benefits and drawbacks were highlighted. Additionally, we included a few antibiotics whose removal from aquatic environments has been the subject of extensive research. Lastly, a few representative publications were identified that provide specific information on the removal rates attained by each technique. This review provides evidence that biosorption of antibiotic residues from biological waste using natural biosorbent materials is an affordable and effective technique for eliminating antibiotic residues from wastewater.

Application of biochar on soil bioelectrochemical remediation: behind roles, progress, and potential

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) that combine electrochemistry with biological methods have gained attention in the remediation of polluted environments, including wastewater, sludge, sediments, and soils. The most attractive advantage of BESs is that the solid electrode is used as an inexhaustible electron acceptor or donor, and biocurrent directly converted from organics can afford the reaction energy of contaminant breakdown, crossing the internal energy barrier of endothermic degradation, which achieves a continuous biodegradation process without the simultaneous use of exogenetic chemicals and bioelectricity recovery. However, soil BESs are hindered by expensive electrode materials, difficult pollutant and electron transfer, low microbial competitive activity, and biocompatibility in contamination remediation. Fortunately, introducing biochar into soil BESs could reveal a high potential in addressing these BES inadequacies. The characteristics of biochar, e.g., conductivity, transferability, high specific surface area, high porosity, large functional groups, and biocompatibility, can improve the performance of soil BESs. In fact, biochar not only carries electrons but also transfers nutrients, pollutants, and even bacteria by facilitating transmission in the bioelectric field of BESs. Consequently, the abilities of biochar make for better functionality of BESs. This review collates information on the roles, application, and progress of biochar in soil BESs, and future prospects are given. It is beneficial for environmental researchers and engineers to extend BES application in environmental remediation and to assist the progress of carbon sequestration and emission reduction based on the inertia of biochar and the blocking of electron flow to form methane.

Simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation of oxytetracycline in wastewater by Mycolicibacterium sp. immobilized on magnetic biochar

Due to the adverse effects of long-term oxytetracycline (OTC) residues in aquatic environments, an effective treatment is urgently needed. Immobilized microbial technology has been widely explored in the treatment of various organic pollutants in aquatic environments with its excellent environmental adaptability. Nevertheless, studies on its application in the removal of antibiotics are relatively scarce and not in sufficient depth. Only a few studies have further investigated the final fate of antibiotics in the immobilized bacteria system. In this study, a novel kind of OTC-degrading bacteria Mycolicibacterium sp. was immobilized on straw biochar and magnetic biochar, respectively. Magnetic biochar was proved to be a more satisfactory immobilization carrier due to its superior property and the advantage of easy recycling. Compared with free bacteria, immobilized bacteria had stronger environmental adaptability under different OTC concentrations, pH, and heavy metal ions. After 5 cycles, immobilized bacteria could still remove 71.8% of OTC, indicating that it had a stable recyclability. Besides, OTC in real swine wastewater was completely removed by immobilized bacteria within 2 days. The results of FTIR showed that bacteria were successfully immobilized on biochar and O-H, N-H, and C-N groups might be involved in the removal of OTC. The fate analysis indicated that OTC was removed by simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation, while biodegradation (92.8%) played a dominant role in the immobilized bacteria system. Meanwhile, the amount of adsorbed OTC (7.20%) was rather small, which could effectively decrease the secondary pollution of OTC. At last, new degradation pathways of OTC were proposed. This study provides an eco-friendly and effective approach to remedy OTC pollution in wastewater.

Adsorption characterization of tetracycline antibiotics on alkali-functionalized rice husk biochar and its evaluation on phytotoxicity to seed germination

This work presented adsorption characteristics of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) on KOH-functionalized rice husk biochar pyrolyzed at 700 °C (KBC700) and evaluation on phytotoxicity of TCs-adsorbed aqueous phase to seed germination. Specifically, KBC700 gained eightfold rise in specific surface area by KOH activation. Predominant monolayer chemisorption helped KBC700 control TCs, and spontaneous and exothermic features were identified by thermodynamic studies. KBC700 could efficiently work in a wide pH range (4.5 ~ 9.5), as well as in simulated eutrophic water and co-existing cationic solution. Humic acid exerted negative impact on TCs disposal. Outstanding regeneration capability and stability were also found during adsorption-desorption cycles. Mechanism discussion implied predominant pore filling and π-π interaction accompanied by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction involved in TCs-removal process. Importantly, less phytotoxicity to seed germination was found in TCs-adsorbed aqueous phase. Collectively, these findings contribute to adsorption properties recognition and subsequent application for KOH-modified rice rusk biochar in environmental TCs remediation.

A mini review of recent progress in the removal of emerging contaminants from pharmaceutical waste using various adsorbents

The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) originating from pharmaceutical waste in water, wastewater, and marine ecosystems at various geographical locations has been clearly publicised. This review paper presents an overview of current monitoring data on the occurrences and distributions of ECs in coastal ecosystem, tap water, surface water, ground water, treated sewage effluents, and other sources. Technological advancements for EC removal are also presented, which include physical, chemical, biological, and hybrid treatments. Adsorption remains the most effective method to remove ECs from water bodies. Various types of adsorbents, such as activated carbons, biochars, nanoadsorbents (carbon nanotubes and graphene), ordered mesoporous carbons, molecular imprinting polymers, clays, zeolites, and metal-organic frameworks have been extensively used for removing ECs from water sources and wastewater. Extensive findings on adsorptive performances, process efficiency, reusability properties, and other related information are thoroughly discussed in this mini review.

Preparation and characterization of Allium cepa extract coated biochar and adsorption performance for hexavalent chromium

The elimination of hazardous metal ions from contaminated water has been an important procedure to improve the quality of the water source. Hence, this study presents the fabrication of Allium cepa extract-coated biochar for the elimination of Cr (VI) from wastewater. The synthesized biochar (SBCH) and modified biochar (BMOJ) were characterized by making use of FTIR, BET, XRD, TGA and SEM. Optimum Cr (VI) removal was achieved at solution pH 2, 0.05 g adsorbent dosage and 180 min agitation period. The adsorptive removal of Cr (VI) onto SBCH and BMOJ followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with a satisfactory sum of square residuals (SSR) of 3.874 and 5.245 for SBCH and BMOJ, respectively. Meanwhile, Freundlich isotherm was found to best describe the uptake of Cr (VI) SBCH and BMOJ. Experimental data showed an adsorption capacity of 37.38 and 25.77 mg g-1 and a maximum efficiency of 85.42% and 51.63% for BMOJ and SBCH, respectively. BMOJ also showed good antioxidant characteristics. Thermodynamic data revealed that the uptake of Cr (VI) onto the SBCH and BMOJ was an exothermic and endothermic (ΔH: SBCH =  - 16.22 kJ mol-1 and BMOJ = 13.74 kJ mol-1), entropy-driven (ΔS: SBCH = 40.96 J K-1 mol-1 and BMOJ = 93.26 J K-1 mol-1) and spontaneous process. Furthermore, BMOJ demonstrated excellent reusability and promising characteristics for industrial applications.

Influence by varying organic matter content and forms in suspended particulate matter: impacts on the adsorption of tetracycline and norfloxacin

Antibiotics are commonly detected in natural waters. The organic matter (OM) in suspended particulate matter (SPM) has a critical impact on the adsorption of antibiotics in water. We investigated the contribution of OM content and form to the adsorption of tetracycline (TC) and norfloxacin (NOR) in the SPM of Taihu Lake. To change the content and form of OM in SPM, the samples were subjected to pyrolysis at 505 ˚C and oxidization with H2O2, respectively. Combustion almost completely removed OM, while oxidation removed most of the OM and transformed the remaining OM. Regardless of whether the OM changed or not, the adsorption of NOR and TC by SPM was more in line with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model instead of pseudo-first-order. The fitting of the intraparticle diffusion model showed that the removal of OM had a certain degree of change in the adsorption process. The isothermal adsorption of TC in all samples was more in line with the Temkin model. The isothermal adsorption of NOR in the oxidized sample conformed to the Temkin model, while it conformed to the Langmuir model in the original sample and the sample removed OM via combustion. The adsorption capacity of SPM with almost complete removal of OM significantly decreased, while conversely, the adsorption capacity of SPM after oxidation increased. This indicates that both the content and form of OM affect the adsorption of antibiotics by SPM, and the form of OM has a greater impact. The contribution of OM to NOR adsorption was greater than that of TC. In conclusion, the results verify the importance of OM in adsorbing antibiotics onto SPM, which may provide basic data for antibiotic migration in surface water.

The Prediction of Cu(II) Adsorption Capacity of Modified Pomelo Peels Using the PSO-ANN Model

It is very well known that traditional artificial neural networks (ANNs) are prone to falling into local extremes when optimizing model parameters. Herein, to enhance the prediction performance of Cu(II) adsorption capacity, a particle swarm optimized artificial neural network (PSO-ANN) model was developed. Prior to predicting the Cu(II) adsorption capacity of modified pomelo peels (MPP), experimental data collected by our research group were used to build a consistent database. Then, a PSO-ANN model was established to enhance the model performance by optimizing the ANN's weights and biases. Finally, the performances of the developed ANN and PSO-ANN models were deeply evaluated. The results of this investigation revealed that the proposed hybrid method did increase both the generalization ability and the accuracy of the predicted data of the Cu(II) adsorption capacity of MPPs when compared to the conventional ANN model. This PSO-ANN model thus offers an alternative methodology for optimizing the adsorption capacity prediction of heavy metals using agricultural waste biosorbents.

Highly efficient nanocomposite of Y2O3@biochar for oxytetracycline removal from solution: Adsorption characteristics and mechanisms

Nano Y₂O₃-modified biochar composites (Y₂O₃@BC600) were fabricated successfully and exhibited great adsorption toward oxytetracycline (OTC). The Langmuir adsorption capacity of Y₂O₃@BC600-1:4 for OTC reached 223.46 mg/g, 10.52 times greater than that of BC600. The higher dispersion of Y₂O₃ nanoparticles, increased surface area of 175.65 m²/g and expanded porosity of 0.27 cm³/g accounted for higher OTC adsorption by Y₂O₃@BC600-1:4. Y₂O₃@BC600-1:4 could resist the interference of co-existing cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺) and anions (Cl^-, NO₃^-, SO₄^2-) on OTC removal. Y₂O₃ coating changed surface charge property of BC600, favoring the contribution of electrostatic interaction. Synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy detected obvious peak shift and intensity change of surface -OH when OTC adsorption occurred. Accordingly, stronger H-bonding (charge-assisted hydrogen bond, OTC-H₂N⁺···HO-Y₂O₃@BC600-1:4) was proposed for OTC adsorption. Y₂O₃@BC600 exhibited renewability and stability in the adsorptive removal of OTC. Therefore, Y₂O₃@BC600 may be a novel and suitable adsorbent for antibiotic removal.

Shaddock peels derived multilayer biochar with embedded CoO@Co nanoparticles for peroxymonosulfate based wastewater treatment

The utilization of bio-wastes, such as shaddock peels, is of great significance for sustainable development. Combined with the potential of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) based advanced oxidation process (AOP) in wastewater treatment, a highly efficient functional catalyst, derived from shaddock peels biochar (SPC) and embedded with CoO@Co nanoparticles, i.e. Co-SPC-x(y), was prepared using a facile impregnation-calcination method and used for refractory organics degradation with PMS. The decoration amount of Co and annealing temperature were optimized, and the effects of various reaction factors were investigated. The results indicated that the optimized sample of Co-SPC-10 (900) consisted of multilayer biochar with curly edges and highly dispersed CoO@Co nanoparticles in the range of 20-200 nm, which is in cubic metallic Co and CoO. Moreover, it also possessed a specific surface area of 248.6 m²/g, and exhibited excellent PMS activation ability with ∼100% chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTC) removal ratio within only 12 min of operation. The Co-SPC-10 (900)/PMS system showed relatively high tolerance for HPO₄^2-, NO₃^- and SO₄^2-, while the Cl^- and HA had considerable effects on it. Mechanism exploration results revealed that both radical and non-radical pathways existed in the Co-SPC-10 (900)/PMS system, in which the multilayered biochar functioned as an electron transfer carrier to facilitate the continuous cycle of Co²⁺/Co³⁺ in the CoO@Co nanoparticles by reacting with the absorbed CTC and PMS, resulting in the production of •OH, SO₄^•-, O₂^•- and ¹O₂. Additionally, the Co-SPC-10 (900) also showed good stability and catalytic oxidation performance for various refractory organics.

Porous biochar derived from walnut shell as an efficient adsorbent for tetracycline removal

In this study, a high-performance porous adsorbent was prepared from biochar through a simple one-step alkali-activated pyrolysis treatment of walnut shells, and it was effective in removing tetracycline (TC). The specific surface area (SSA) of potassium hydroxide-pretreated walnut shell-derived biochar pyrolyzed at 900°C (KWS900) increased remarkably compared to that of the pristine walnut shell and reached 1713.87±37.05 m²·g^-1. The maximum adsorption capacity of KWS900 toward TC was 607.00±31.87 mg·g^-1. The pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models were well suited to describe the TC adsorption process onto KWS900. The KWS900 exhibited high stability and reusability for TC adsorption in the presence of co-existing anions or cations over a wide pH range of 1.0-11.0. Further investigations demonstrated that the proposed adsorption mechanism involved pore filling, hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and electrostatic interaction. These findings provide a valuable reference for developing biochar-based adsorbents for pollutant removal.

One-pot preparation of layered double oxides-engineered biochar for the sustained removal of tetracycline in water

Tetracycline (TC) and sugarcane bagasse had both exerted enormous strain on environmental security. In this work, new composite adsorbent designed by impregnating bio-waste bagasse with magnesium-aluminum layered double oxides (BC-MA) was innovatively brought forward for TC removal. Benefiting from the abundant adsorption sites supplied by developed pores structure (0.308 cm³·g^-1), enlarged surface area (256.8 m²·g^-1) and reinforced functional groups, the maximum adsorption amount of BC-MA for TC reached 250.6 mg g^-1. Moreover, BC-MA displayed desirable adsorption capacity in diverse water environments coupled with excellent sustainable regeneration ability. The absorption process of TC by BC-MA was spontaneous and endothermic, and the pivotal rate-limiting stage pertained to intraparticle diffusion. The mechanisms proposed here mainly concerned π-π interactions, pore filling, complexation and hydrogen bonding. These findings suggested that the synthesis of modified biochar from bagasse would offer new opportunities for simultaneous waste resource reuse and water pollution control.

Production of biochar from tropical fruit tree residues and ecofriendly applications - A review

Environmental contamination is considered a major issue with the growing urbanization and industrialization. In this context, the scientific society is engaged in searching for a sustainable, safe, and eco-friendly solution. Sustainable materials such as biochar play an important role in environmental contamination. It has some specific properties such as micropores which increase the surface area to bind the pollutants. This review endeavors to analyze the potential of fruit wastes especially tropical fruit tree residues as potential candidates for producing highly efficient biochar materials. The review discusses various aspects of biochar production viz. pyrolysis, torrefaction, hydrothermal carbonization, and gasification. In addition, it discusses biochar use as an adsorbent, wastewater treatment, catalyst, energy storage, carbon sequestration and animal feed. The review put forward a critical discussion about key aspects of applying biochar to the environment.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-L loaded on melamine foam for removal tetracycline hydrochloride from water

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-L/melamine foam (ZIF-L/MF) is fabricated by an in situ growth method to treat the tetracycline hydrochloride in wastewater. The results show that a large amount of leaf-like ZIF-L is vertically grown on the MF surface. ZIF-L/MF exhibits well adsorption performance with a maximum adsorption ability of 1346 mg/g. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model are used to describe the adsorption process well. In addition, the influences of pH and coexisting ions are studied. According to the experimental data and analysis, the adsorption mechanisms may involve H-bonding, π-π interaction, and weak electrostatic interaction. A dynamic adsorption experiment is also performed, and the results show that the time required to achieve the same removal efficiency as static adsorption is reduced by half. This work shows that the obtained ZIF-L/MF has practical applications in antibiotic adsorption.

Enhanced MFC sensor performances and extracellular electron transport efficiency mediated by biochar and underlying biochemical mechanisms

To explore the application of biosensor in real-time monitoring of composite heavy metal polluted wastewater in view of the low performance of MFC sensor, this study used sodium alginate to immobilize biochar to the anode of MFC biosensor, and conducted a study on the sensor performance and related biological processes. The results showed that under the optimal HRT conditions, the output power of the MFC-sensor (BC-300) was 0.432 W/m³ after biochar modification, which was much higher than the highest power density of CG and BC-0 of 0.117 and 0.088 W/m³. The correlation coefficient was greater than that of the control group at the plating wastewater concentration of 0.1-1.0 M and had a wider detection range, and the time to recover the output voltage was 1/3 of that of the control group. The biochar significantly promoted the sensitivity, interference resistance, recovery and anti-interference performance of the MFC-sensor. The intrinsic mechanism was that the composition and structure of biochar lead to a 1.53 fold increase in the abundance of electrogenic microorganisms and the abundance of functional genes such as cytochrome c (MtrABC, CymA, Cox, etc.) and flavin (riba, Rib B, gdh, ushA, IDH, etc.) increased by about 1.03-3.20 times, which promoted the shift of electrons from intracellular to extracellular receptors and significantly improved the electron transfer and the energy metabolism efficiency. The results of this study can provide a reference for the application of MFCsensor to the detection of complex heavy metal effluents.

Adsorption mechanism of phosphorus on biomass ash modified with lanthanum immobilized by chitosan

The immobilized lanthanum-modified biomass ash gel ball (CS-La-BA) was prepared with lanthanum chloride, biomass ash, and chitosan to remove phosphorus from water. CS-La-BA was characterized by several analytical techniques. SEM-EDS results showed that CS-La-BA has a well-developed pore structure and abundant adsorption sites. The surface area of BET is 75.46 m²/g and the pore size is mostly at 1.84 nm, indicating that it is a composite porous material with abundant microporous structure. The presence of La on biomass ash and the charge property of CS-La-BA were determined by XRD and zeta potential, and the adsorption mechanism of CS-La-BA on phosphate, including precipitation, electrostatic adsorption, ligand exchange, and complexation mechanism, was revealed by FTIR and XPS. The effects of pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage, initial phosphorus concentration, adsorption time, and coexisting ions on the phosphorus uptake performance of CS-La-BA were discussed. The adsorption experiment results show that the phosphorus removal rate of CS-La-BA can reach 95.6%. Even after six desorption and regeneration experiments, the phosphorus removal rate still reaches 68.13%, which indicates that CS-La-BA has good phosphorus adsorption performance and desorption and regeneration capacity. The phosphorus adsorption process of CS-La-BA conforms to the Freundlich isotherm adsorption equation and general-order kinetic model. The internal diffusion of the adsorption process is dominant, and the maximum adsorption capacity is 31.73 mg/g (25 ℃). Thermodynamic experiments show that the adsorption process of phosphorus by CS-La-BA is a spontaneous entropy increase process.

Assessment of Cu(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Modified Pomelo Peels: Experiments and Modelling

In this study, low-cost pomelo peel wastes were used as a bio-sorbent to remove copper ions (e.g., Cu(II)) from aqueous solutions. Prior to testing its Cu(II) removal capability, the structural, physical and chemical characteristics of the sorbent were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The impacts of the initial pH, temperature, contact time and Cu(II) feed concentration on the Cu(II) biosorption using modified pomelo peels were then assessed. Thermodynamic parameters associated to the biosorption clearly demonstrate that this biosorption is thermodynamically feasible, endothermic, spontaneous and entropy driven. Furthermore, adsorption kinetic data were found to fit very well with the pseudo-second order kinetics equation, highlighting that this process is driven by a chemical adsorption. Finally, an artificial neural network with a 4:9:1 structure was then established for describing the Cu(II) adsorption using modified pomelo peels with R² values close to 0.9999 and to 0.9988 for the training and testing sets, respectively. The results present a big potential use of the as-prepared bio-sorbent for the removal of Cu(II), as well as an efficient green technology for ecological and environmental sustainability.

Adsorption Performance of Methylene Blue by KOH/FeCl3 Modified Biochar/Alginate Composite Beads Derived from Agricultural Waste

In this study, high-performance modified biochar/alginate composite bead (MCB/ALG) adsorbents were prepared from recycled agricultural waste corncobs by a high-temperature pyrolysis and KOH/FeCl3 activation process. The prepared MCB/ALG beads were tested for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) dye from wastewater. A variety of analytical methods, such as SEM, BET, FTIR and XRD, were used to investigate the structure and properties of the as-prepared adsorbents. The effects of solution pH, time, initial MB concentration and adsorption temperature on the adsorption performance of MCB/ALG beads were discussed in detail. The results showed that the adsorption equilibrium of MB dye was consistent with the Langmuir isothermal model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacity of MCB/ALG−1 could reach 1373.49 mg/g at 303 K. The thermodynamic studies implied endothermic and spontaneous properties of the adsorption system. This high adsorption performance of MCB/ALG was mainly attributed to pore filling, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. The regeneration experiments showed that the removal rate of MB could still reach 85% even after five cycles of experiments, indicating that MCB/ALG had good reusability and stability. These results suggested that a win-win strategy of applying agricultural waste to water remediation was feasible.

Natural phenol-inspired porous polymers for efficient removal of tetracycline: Experimental and engineering analysis

Efficient and feasible removal of trace antibiotics from wastewater is extremely important due to its environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity, but still remains a huge challenge. Herein, three natural phenol-inspired porous organic polymers were fabricated from natural phenolic-derived monomers (p-hydroxy benzaldehyde, 2,4-dihydroxy benzaldehyde and 2,4,6-trihydroxy benzaldehyde) and melamine via polycondensation reaction. Characterization highlighted that the increasing contents of hydroxyl groups in monomers induced an increase of the polymer total porosity and promoted the formation of a highly microporous structure. With mesopore-dominated pore (average pore diameter 9.6 nm) and large pore volume (1.78 cm³/g), p-hydroxy benzaldehyde-based porous polymer (1-HBPP) exhibited ultra-high maximum adsorption capacity (q_max) of 697.6 mg/g for tetracycline (TC) antibiotic. Meanwhile, the porous networks and plentiful active sites of 1-HBPP enabled fast adsorption kinetics (within 10 min) for TC removal, which could be well described by the pseudo-second-order model. Dynamic adsorption studies showed that 1-HBPP could be used in fixed-bed adsorption column (FBAC) with high removal efficiency (breakthrough volume per unit mass, 13.2 L/g) and dynamic adsorption capacity (201.6 mg/g), which were much higher than other reported adsorbents. The breakthrough curves both well matched with Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models in FBAC treatment. Moreover, removal mechanism analysis affirmed that pore-filling, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions and π-π stacking interactions were main driving forces for TC adsorption. The prepared natural phenol-inspired porous adsorbents show great potential in antibiotics removal from wastewater, and this strategy would promote the sustainable and high-value utilization of natural phenolic compounds.

Mesoporous Activated Biochar from Crab Shell with Enhanced Adsorption Performance for Tetracycline

In this study, three mesoporous-activated crab shell biochars were prepared by carbonation and chemical activation with KOH (K-CSB), H₃PO₄ (P-CSB), and KMnO₄ (M-CSB) to evaluate their tetracycline (TC) adsorption capacities. Characterization by SEM and a porosity analysis revealed that the K-CSB, P-CSB, and M-CSB possessed a puffy, mesoporous structure, with K-CSB exhibiting a larger specific surface area (1738 m²/g). FT-IR analysis revealed that abundant, surface ox-containing functional groups possessed by K-CSB, P-CSB, and M-CSB, such as -OH, C-O, and C=O, enhanced adsorption for TC, thereby enhancing their adsorption efficiency for TC. The maximum TC adsorption capacities of the K-CSB, P-CSB, and M-CSB were 380.92, 331.53, and 281.38 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics data of the three TC adsorbents fit the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption mechanism involved aperture filling, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic action, π-π EDA action, and complexation. As a low-cost and highly effective adsorbent for antibiotic wastewater treatment, activated crab shell biochar has enormous application potential.

Phosphoric acid-activated biochar derived from sunflower seed husk: Selective antibiotic adsorption behavior and mechanism

In recent years, the unnecessary overuse of antibiotics has increased globally, resulting in antibiotic contamination of water, which has become a significant environmental concern. This study aims to examine the adsorption behavior of antibiotics (Tetracycline TC, Ciprofloxacin CIP, Ibuprofen IBP, and Sulfamethoxazole SMX) onto H₃PO₄-activated sunflower seed husk biochar (PSF). The results demonstrated that H₃PO₄ could enhance the specific surface area (378.8 m²/g) and create a mesoporous structure of biochar. The adsorption mechanism was investigated using kinetic models, isotherms, and thermodynamics. The maximum adsorption capacities (q_max) of TC, CIP, SMX, and IBP are 429.3, 361.6, 251.3, and 251.1 mg g^-1, respectively. The adsorption mechanism of antibiotics on PSF was governed by complex mechanisms, including chemisorption, external diffusion, and intraparticle diffusion. This research provides an environmentally friendly method for utilizing one of the agricultural wastes for the removal of a variety of antibiotics from the aquatic environment.

A review of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) adsorption by biochar and modified biochar in water

Antibiotics have been used in massive quantities for human and animal medical treatment, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are of great concern worldwide. Antibiotics and ARGs are exposed to the natural environment through the discharge of medical wastewater, causing great harm to the environment and human health. Biochar has been widely used as a green and efficient adsorbent to remove pollutants. However, pristine and unmodified biochars are not considered sufficient and efficient to cope with the current serious water pollution. Therefore, researchers have chosen to improve the adsorption capacity of biochar through different modification methods. To have a better understanding of the application of modified biochar, this review summarizes the biochar modification methods and their performance, particularly, molecular imprinting and biochar aging are outlined as new modification methods, influencing factors of biochar and modified biochar in adsorption of antibiotics and ARGs and adsorption mechanisms, wherein adsorption mechanism of ARGs on biochar is found to be different than that of antibiotics. After that, the directions of biochar and modified biochar worthy of research and the issues that need attention are proposed. It can be noted that under the current dual carbon policy, biochar may have wider application prospects in future.

Fe-Al bimetallic oxides functionalized-biochar via ball milling for enhanced adsorption of tetracycline in water

The clusters formed by modified materials on its surface makes the application of functionalized biochars in adsorption face a great challenge. Here, a facile ball milling technology was innovatively proposed to tailor Fe-Al oxides-laden bagasse biochar to fabricate a novel adsorbent (BMFA-BC). Benefited from the increased exposure of Fe-Al oxides and, more importantly, enhanced functional groups by ball milling, the adsorption capacity of BMFA-BC for aqueous tetracycline reached up to 116.6 mg g^-1 at 298 K. And the adsorption performance was temperature-dependent. Characterization analysis, batch sorption (thermodynamics, kinetics, isotherms, chemical factors) as well as data modeling illustrated that this superior adsorption ability could be attributed to π-π conjugation, H-bonding, complexation as well as pore filling. BMFA-BC displayed good adsorption capacity in multiple aqueous environments. The excellent regeneration ability, magnetic susceptibility ensured its viability for sustainable pollutants removal. These superiorities revealed that BMFA-BC was a suitable sorbent for antibiotics elimination.

Adsorptive removal of antibiotic pollutants from wastewater using biomass/biochar-based adsorbents

This study explores adsorptive removal measures to shed light on current water treatment innovations for kinetic/isotherm models and their applications to antibiotic pollutants using a broad range of biomass-based adsorbents. The structure, classifications, sources, distribution, and different techniques for the remediation of antibiotics are discussed. Unlike previous studies, a wide range of adsorbents are covered and adsorption of comprehensive classes of antibiotics onto biomass/biochar-based adsorbents are categorized as β-lactam, fluoroquinolone, sulfonamide, tetracycline, macrolides, chloramphenicol, antiseptic additives, glycosamides, reductase inhibitors, and multiple antibiotic systems. This allows for an assessment of their performance and an understanding of current research breakthroughs in applying various adsorbent materials for antibiotic removal. Distinct from other studies in the field, the theoretical basis of different isotherm and kinetics models and the corresponding experimental insights into their applications to antibiotics are discussed extensively, thereby identifying the associated strengths, limitations, and efficacy of kinetics and isotherms for describing the performances of the adsorbents. In addition, we explore the regeneration of adsorbents and the potential applications of the adsorbents in engineering. Lastly, scholars will be able to grasp the present resources employed and the future necessities for antibiotic wastewater remediation.

Efficient Adsorption of a Sulfonamide Antibiotic in Aqueous Solutions with N-doped Magnetic Biochar: Performance, Mechanism, and Reusability

Conventional biochar has limited effectiveness in the adsorption of sulfonamide antibiotics, while modified biochar exhibits greater adsorption potential. Residues of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in the aquatic environment can threaten the safety of microbial populations as well as humans. In this study, iron-nitrogen co-doped modified biochar (Fe-N-BC) was prepared from palm fibers and doped with Fe and urea via synthesis at 500 °C. Fe-N-BC has a richer surface functional group based on elemental content, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area test exhibited Fe-N-BC, which possessed a greater surface area (318.203 m²/g) and a better developed pore structure (0.149 cm³/g). The results of the hysteresis loop and the Raman spectrum show that Fe-N-BC has a higher degree of magnetization and graphitization. Fe-N-BC showed a remarkable adsorption capacity for SMX (42.9 mg/g), which could maintain 93.4% adsorption effect after four cycles, and 82.8% adsorption capacity in simulated piggery wastewater. The adsorption mechanism involves pore filling, surface complexation, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and π-π EDA interactions. The results of this study show that Fe-N-BC prepared from palm fibers can be a stable, excellent adsorbent for SMX removal from wastewater and has promise in terms of practical applications.

Ultrahigh sorption of sulfamethoxazole by potassium hydroxide-modified biochars derived from bean-worm skin waste

Food processing of bean worm generates copious amount of skin as solid waste posing a serious environmental concern. The present study utilized bean worm skin (BWS) waste to produce KOH-modified biochars (KBWS-BCs) for the removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from aqueous solution for the first time. Characterization of KBWS-BCs was systematically investigated via multiple instrumental analysis techniques. The sorption performance of KBWS-BCs as a function of solution pH, reaction time, initial SMX concentration, and reaction temperature was investigated using batch experiments. The classic kinetics and isotherm models were employed to fit the sorption data. KBWS-BCs exhibited large surface areas (3331-4742 m² g^-1) and ultrahigh sorption performance for SMX (maximum adsorption capacities of 909-2000 mg g^-1), which were comparable to those of other modified biochars and even those of well-designed materials. Thermodynamic study indicated that the sorption of SMX on KBWS-BCs was a spontaneous (△G° < 0) and exothermic (△H° < 0) process. Mechanism analysis showed that both chemisorption and physisorption were responsible for the adsorption of SMX by KBWS-BCs. Overall, recycling BWS for preparation of high-performance biochars can be a "win-win" strategy for both disposal of BWS and removal of SMX from wastewater.

Removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by a novel ZnO-sludge biochar composite

The incorporation of ZnO into biochar has become a promising way to obtain adsorbents with enhanced adsorption capacity. In this study, a low-cost ZnO-sludge biochar composite (ZBC) was prepared by a simply in situ method using sewage sludge biochar (SBC) and zinc acetate, as well as employed for Cr(VI) adsorption in water. The results of XPS and FT-IR suggested that the ZBC surface had more functional groups such as -COOH, -OH, -C-O, ZnO, etc. Compared with SBC, the BET-specific surface area of the ZBC increased from 8.82 to 41.24 m²·g^-1, which provides potential advantages for Cr(VI) uptake. Benefiting from ZnO incorporation, about an 18% increase in Cr(VI) removal efficiency was obtained. The maximum removal efficiency and equilibrium adsorption amount of ZBC for Cr(VI) reached 98.4% and 33.87 mg·g^-1, respectively. The adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic nature, and coincided nicely with pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm. The analyses indicated that Cr(VI) removal by ZBC was predominantly via electrostatic attraction, surface complexation, ion exchange, and reduction. This study provided valuable insights into the problem of sludge disposal and provided a new and effective method for Cr(VI) removal.

Hierarchically Annular Mesoporous Carbon Derived from Phenolic Resin for Efficient Removal of Antibiotics in Wastewater

Antibiotics have become a new type of environmental pollutant due to their extensive use. High-performance adsorbents are of paramount significance for a cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategy to remove antibiotics from water environments. Herein, we report a novel annular mesoporous carbon (MCN), prepared by phenolic resin and triblock copolymer F127, as a high-performance adsorbent to remove penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline hydrochloride from wastewater. The MCNs have high purity, rich annular mesoporosity, a high surface area (605.53 m²/g), and large pore volume (0.58 cm³/g), improving the adsorption capacity and facilitating the efficient removal of penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline hydrochloride from water. In the application of MCNs to treat these three kinds of residual antibiotics, the adsorption amounts of tetracycline hydrochloride were higher than penicillin and streptomycin, and the adsorption capacity was up to 880.6 mg/g. Moreover, high removal efficiency (99.6%) and excellent recyclability were achieved. The results demonstrate that MCN adsorbents have significant potential in the treatment of water contaminated with antibiotics.

Pyrolysis of citrus wastes for the simultaneous production of adsorbents for Cu(II), H2, and d-limonene

A route based on pyrolysis and physical activation with H₂O and CO₂ was proposed to reuse citrus waste traditionally discarded. The citrus wastes were orange peel (OP), mandarine peel (MP), rangpur lime peel (RLP), and sweet lime peel (SLP). The main aim was to use the solid products of this new route as adsorbents for Cu(II) ions. Copper ions are among the most important water pollutants due to their non-degradability, toxicity, and bioaccumulation, facilitating their inclusion and long persistence in the food chain. Besides the solid products, the liquid and gaseous fractions were evaluated for possible applications. Results showed that the citrus waste composition favored the thermochemical treatment. In addition, the following yields were obtained from the pyrolysis process: approximately 30 % wt. of biochar, 40 % wt. of non-condensable gases, and 30 % wt. of bio-oil. The biochars did not present a high specific surface area. Nevertheless, activated carbons with CO₂ and H₂O presented specific surface areas of 212.4 m²/g and 399.4 m²/g, respectively, and reached Cu(II) adsorption capacities of 28.2 mg g^-1 and 27.8 mg g^-1. The adsorption kinetic study revealed that the equilibrium was attained at 60 min and the pseudo-second-order model presented a better fit to the experimental data. The main generated gases were CO₂, which could be employed as an activating agent for activated carbon production. d-limonene, used for food and medicinal purposes, was the main constituent of the bio-oil.

Carbon-Based Materials as Effective Adsorbents for the Removal of Pharmaceutical Compounds from Aqueous Solution

Antibiotics are emerging water pollutants that have attracted significant attention from the scientific community. Antibiotics are generally released via hospital effluents, industrial production waste, animal manure, and irrigated agricultural land. Antibiotic residues can harm all living organisms, with the most detrimental consequence being the generation of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, commonly known as “superbugs.” Antimicrobial resistance is a concern to the healthcare community as it complicates the treatment of infections. Thus, the development of effective and economical technologies to remove antibiotics from the environment is necessary. Adsorption is a promising technology owing to its effectiveness and high operational feasibility, and carbon-based adsorbents are primitive materials that are particularly suited for antibiotic adsorption. Herein, an overview of the current state of antibiotic pollution will be summarised, including the adverse effects of different antibiotics and challenges associated with antibiotic removal. The adsorption behaviours of tetracycline (TC), quinolone, penicillin, and macrolides on carbon-based adsorbents (i.e., activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, and graphene-based materials) are reviewed. The interactions between antibiotics and carbon-based adsorbents, adsorption mechanism, and adsorption behaviour under different conditions are emphasised. In addition, the limitations of adsorption technology are highlighted to direct future research.

A Mini Review on Persulfate Activation by Sustainable Biochar for the Removal of Antibiotics

Antibiotic contamination in water bodies poses ecological risks to aquatic organisms and humans and is a global environmental issue. Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs) are efficient for the removal of antibiotics. Sustainable biochar materials have emerged as potential candidates as persulfates (Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and Peroxydisulfate (PDS)) activation catalysts to degrade antibiotics. In this review, the feasibility of pristine biochar and modified biochar (non-metal heteroatom-doped biochar and metal-loaded biochar) for the removal of antibiotics in PS-AOPs is evaluated through a critical analysis of recent research. The removal performances of biochar materials, the underlying mechanisms, and active sites involved in the reactions are studied. Lastly, sustainability considerations for future biochar research, including Sustainable Development Goals, technical feasibility, toxicity assessment, economic and life cycle assessment, are discussed to promote the large-scale application of biochar/PS technology. This is in line with the global trends in ensuring sustainable production.

The Preparation of Eco-Friendly Magnetic Adsorbent from Wild Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes): The Application for Removing Lead Ions from Industrial Wastewater

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a wild floating plant that can be found widely in pond or river areas. The plant grows fiercely and causes many harmful issues to the ecosystem around its covered area. This work provides a utilization method that converts wild water hyacinth to reliable magnetic biochar which can be used as a very effective adsorbent for the removal of lead ion Pb(II) in industrial wastewater. The mentioned magnetic biochar can be prepared via a modified pyrolysis process at 550°C with the support of cobalt sulfates as magnetite precursors and limited oxygen from the sweeping gas (the gas mixture ratio is 4 : 1 nitrogen/oxygen). The produced samples were hydrophobic biochar with high oxygen-containing functional groups that are suitable for the removal of inorganic contaminants. The impregnation of cobalt (II, III) oxides provided high magnetic separation performance and additional adsorption sites on the produced magnetic biochar. As indicated by the obtained result, the WHB-Co2M sample possesses a highly porous structure (0.126 cc/g), higher thermal stability (thermal durability reaches 900°C), relatively stable magnetic properties (14.74 emu/g), and a larger surface area (192 m2/g). These beneficial properties led to its suitability to serve as an adsorbent in removing lead ions in the contaminated effluent, recording 95% of removal efficiency and adsorption capacity of 67.815 mg/g. As indicated in the result, all prepared magnetic biochar samples were fitted to two-parameter (Langmuir models) and three-parameter (Sips model) isotherm models. Therefore, the adsorption process in this work could be carried out on both homogeneous and heterogeneous adsorbent surfaces. The adsorption kinetics of the removal process also was described by the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and Elovich models to reveal the adsorption and desorption rate of the as-prepared magnetic biochar. This work indicates a successful waste refinery route of converting lignocellulosic biomass such as water hyacinth into value-added material for use as promising heavy metal adsorbents.

Recyclable aminophenylboronic acid modified bacterial cellulose microspheres for tetracycline removal: Kinetic, equilibrium and adsorption performance studies for hoggery sewer

Significant concerns have been raised regarding to the pollution of antibiotics in recent years due to the abuse of antibiotics and their high detection rate in water. Herein, a novel super adsorbent, boronic acid-modified bacterial cellulose microspheres with a size of 415 μm in diameter was prepared through a facile water-in-oil emulsion method. The adsorbent was characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses to confirm its properties. The microspheres were applied as packing materials for the adsorption of tetracycline (TC) from an aqueous solution and hoggery sewer via the reversible covalent interaction between cis-diol groups in TC molecules and the boronic acid ligand. TC adsorption performance had been systemically investigated under various conditions, including the pH, temperature, TC concentration, contact time, and ionic strength. Results showed that the adsorption met pseudo-second-order, Elovich kinetic model and Sips, Redlich-Peterson isothermal models. And the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, with the maximum TC adsorption capacity of 614.2 mg/g. After 18 adsorption-desorption cycles, the adsorption capacity remained as high as 84.5% compared with their original adsorption capacity. Compared with other reported adsorption materials, the microspheres had high adsorption capacity, a simple preparation process, and excellent recovery performance, demonstrating great potential in application on TC removal for water purification and providing new insights into the antibiotic's adsorption behavior of bacterial cellulose-based microspheres.

Enhanced chlortetracycline removal by iron oxide modified spent coffee grounds biochar and persulfate system

Chlortetracycline (CTC) is a tetracycline derivative antibiotic that has been widely used in the livestock industry for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. Effective measures should be taken to decrease the environmental risks associated with CTC-rich waste. Biochar produced by biomass waste showed great potential for organic contaminants removal by adsorption and catalytic degradation. This study prepared iron oxide-modified coffee grounds biochar (CGF) at different temperatures for enhanced CTC removal by adsorption and degradation. The main mechanism for CTC removal was found to be electrostatic interaction. In addition, pore diffusion, hydrogen bonds, and π-π bonds also contributed to CTC adsorption. Maximum CTC adsorption capacity was 223.63 mg/g for CGF800 (CGF prepared at 800 °C pyrolysis). The free radical content of CGF600 (CFG prepared at 600 °C pyrolysis) was higher than CGF800, and there were no significant advantages in using biochar prepared at a higher temperature for persulfate activation. The ion mass-to-charge ratio (M/z) is used to describe the ratio of mass to charge of an ion or peak, which can infer compound structure. The structure of CTC degradation products was analyzed by UPLC-MS, and the M/z values were determined as 444, 273, and 154. Thus, pyrolysis of coffee grounds at higher temperatures increased CTC adsorption capacity, and CGF can indirectly assist in CTC degradation by persulfate activation.

Biochar production with amelioration of microwave-assisted pyrolysis: Current scenario, drawbacks and perspectives

In recent years, biomass has been reported to obtain a wide range of value-added products. Biochar can be obtained by heating biomass, which aids in carbon sinks, soil amendments, resource recovery, and water retention. Microwave technology stands out among various biomass heating technologies not only for its effectiveness in biomass pyrolysis for the production of biochar and biofuel but also for its speed, volumetrics, selectivity, and efficiency. The features of microwave-assisted biomass pyrolysis and biochar are briefly reviewed in this paper. An informative comparison has been drawn between microwave-assisted pyrolysis and conventional pyrolysis. It focuses mainly on technological and economic scenario of biochar production and environmental impacts of using biochar. This source of knowledge would aid in the exploration of new possibilities and scope for employing microwave-assisted pyrolysis technology to produce biochar.

Preparation of biochar from constructed wetland plant and its adsorption performance towards Cu2

In order to solve problems in the treatment and disposal of huge production of artificial wetland plants and heavy metal pollution, two constructed wetland plants of reed and gladiolus were selected as raw materials to prepare biochar for adsorbing heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The experimental results showed that reed biochar prepared at 600℃ and activated by KOH with an impregnation ratio of 1:3 (KRAC-3) exhibited relatively high adsorption ability towards Cu²⁺. The optimal results analyzed by Design-Expert software showed that the maximum adsorption rate of KRAC-3 towards Cu²⁺ was obtained under the optimal conditions of adsorbent dosage of 1.2 g/L, pH of 4.96, and reaction time of 137.43 min. The adsorption of Cu²⁺ followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir adsorption model. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of KRAC-3 calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model was 148.08 mg/g. Microscopic tests with the help of SEM, EDS, and XRD revealed that physical adsorption, ion exchange, electrostatic adsorption, surface complexation, and precipitation were the main adsorption mechanism of Cu²⁺ loading onto KRAC-3. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the application of biochar prepared from constructed wetland plants and the treatment of heavy metal-containing wastewater.