Kinetics and Isotherm Study of Ceftriaxone Removal Using Functionalized Biochar Combined with Photocatalysis.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Materials Science

Background:

• Antibiotics like cephalosporins pose environmental risks due to ineffective removal by conventional wastewater treatment.
• There is a critical need for sustainable and efficient technologies to address antibiotic contamination in water.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the removal of cephalosporins from aqueous solutions using pine bark biochar and TiO2 photocatalysis.
• To investigate the efficacy of adsorption, photocatalysis, and a combined approach for antibiotic removal.

Main Methods:

• Adsorption experiments using pine bark biochar and photocatalysis with TiO2 were performed on cephalosporin solutions.
• Kinetic studies and adsorption isotherms were analyzed using UV-vis spectrophotometry.
• A combined biochar-TiO2 system was tested under UV-vis irradiation.

Main Results:

• Pine bark biochar alone achieved 94.2% cephalosporin removal within 120 minutes.
• TiO2 photocatalysis resulted in 75% removal, while the combined method reached 95.9% removal.
• Adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models, indicating monolayer adsorption.

Conclusions:

• Pine bark biochar is an effective, low-cost adsorbent for cephalosporin removal from wastewater.
• The combined biochar-TiO2 system exhibits a synergistic effect, enhancing antibiotic removal efficiency.
• This approach offers a sustainable method for wastewater treatment and valorization of forestry residues.