Removal of amoxicillin from contaminated water using modified bentonite as a reactive material

This study concerns the removal of a trihydrate antibiotic (Amoxicillin) from synthetically contaminated water by adsorption on modified bentonite. The bentonite was modified using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB), which turned it from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic material. The effects of different parameters were studied in batch experiments. These parameters were contact time, solution pH, agitation speed, initial concentration (C₀) of the contaminant, and adsorbent dosage. Maximum removal of amoxicillin (93 %) was achieved at contact time = 240 min, pH = 10, agitation speed = 200 rpm, initial concentration = 30 ppm, and adsorbent dosage = 3 g bentonite per 1L of pollutant solution. The characterization of the adsorbent, modified bentonite, was accomplished using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller. The isotherm models were also investigated, and it was found that the Freundlich isotherm model fitted well with the experimental data (R² = 94.77), which suggests heterogeneity in the multilayer adsorption of amoxicillin onto modified bentonite. The kinetics of the adsorption process were studied. The experimental data were found to obey the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R² = 95.1). Thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption process was physisorption and endothermic. Finally, the modified bentonite proved to be a good adsorbent for the removal of amoxicillin from contaminated solutions.