Optimization of Paracetamol and Chloramphenicol Removal by Novel Activated Carbon Derived from Sawdust Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract

Paracetamol (PCT) and chloramphenicol (CPL) can have unfavorable impacts on human health, as well as on natural ecosystems. These substances contribute to the aquatic environment’s contamination and disturb the performance of municipal wastewater treatment systems, causing ecosystem disruption and microbial resistance. In this study, activated carbon produced from sawdust (ACs) was synthesized utilizing the chemical activation process for the removal of both PCT and CPL compounds from an aqueous solution. ACs has a primarily microporous structure with a significant specific surface area of 303–1298 m2/g, total pore volume of 0.462 cm3/g and bimodal distribution of pores of 0.73–1.7 nm. The removal efficiencies for PCT and CPL with the low-cost activated carbon, determined at the optimum dose (750 mg/L for PCT and 450 mg/L for CPL), were significantly high at 85% and 98%, respectively. The adsorption kinetics for both pharmaceuticals exhibited a quick initial decline. For PCT and CPL adsorption, the equilibrium was attained after just 20 and 90 min, respectively. The Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model offered the best fits for the adsorption of both compounds. Additionally, the central composite design (CCD) and Box–Behnken design (BBD) were used to optimize the experimental adsorption conditions using a response surface methodology (RSM). On the basis of the findings, it is evident that activated carbon made from sawdust may be used as a new, effective alternative adsorbent for removing PCT and CPL in aqueous environments.

Adsorption behavior of chloramphenicol on an activated carbon from pomelo peel using KHCO3 activator

“…Table S1 (ESI†) displays the maximum adsorption capacities of PMAC and various biomass adsorbents for CHL in water. 5,45–49 It can be observed that the porous carbon prepared in this work exhibited a high adsorption capacity in the treatment of wastewater. It is worth noting that the R 2 value of the Freundlich model was also high at 303 K and 308 K, indicating that multilayer adsorption and chemical adsorption may be involved in the adsorption process.…”

“…The p K a value for CHL was 5.52. 49 The outcome implied that the adsorption capacity of CHL was minimally affected by the pH levels. It was inferred that electrostatic attraction is not the main factor influencing the adsorption of CHL onto PMAC.…”

Activated Carbon Prepared from Waste Coffee Grounds: Characterization and Adsorption Properties of Dyes

“…Then, the curve shows a plateau up to 450 • C with no significant mass loss, revealing high thermal resistance and possible applications in this temperature range. After this second region, a gradual weight loss of about 30% is observed from 450 • C to 1100 • C. This mass decrease is due to decomposition of the oxygenated functions and partial degradation of the carbon skeleton [52,53].…”

“…The ∆G • values become more negative with the increasing temperature, suggesting that the adsorption process is facilitated. This effect could be due to the widening of the AC pores with the increasing temperature, resulting in an easier diffusion of AO7 molecules and greater accessibility to adsorption sites located within the AC [52,54].…”

“…The F-value of 66.94 and the adjusted regression coefficient above 99% indicate that the model equation is highly significant. Furthermore, there is only a small probability of 0.01% that this F-value is due to noise [52]. This analysis also makes it possible to determine the weight of the input parameters and their interactions through the polynomial coefficients of the model (Table 11).…”