Ciprofloxacin and carbamazepine adsorption on activated carbons produced from leather residues

Abstract

Ciprofloxacin and carbamazepine adsorption was studied using an activated carbon produced from leather residues (wet white shavings) and a commercially available activated carbon (Norit ROW 0.8) and the effect of pH level was studied. The activated carbon produced from wet white shavings showed better results due to its higher specific surface area, confirming that leather residues are a viable precursor for the preparation of activated carbons for the adsorption of these chemicals. The effect of pH on the AC adsorption capacity was not significant in the case of carbamazepine, however lower pH led to higher adsorption capacities for ciprofloxacin.