Adsorption of ciprofloxacin antibiotic using chitosan graphene oxide hybrid beads

The presence of alarming concentrations of Ciprofloxacin (CPFN) antibiotic in surface waters, groundwater, drinking water and treated effluents is a ground-breaking environmental challenge due to its widespread antimicrobial resistance. Most wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) working on conventional methods are hosting downstream pollution. Hence it is essential to introduce an eco-friendly material that can be integrated with WWTPs to combat CPFN contamination. This research aims to synthesise Chitosan- Graphene oxide (CSN@GO) hybrid beads, which combines the advantage of CSN biocompatibility and GO adsorption capability. Characterization studies are carried out to confirm the formation of nanocomposite by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The key parameters, namely adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time (CT), are systematically modelled and optimised utilising Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The experimental and modelling outcomes revealed the effectiveness of CSN@GO in adsorbing CPFN, with a maximum removal of 67.6 % under optimal conditions (pH = 7 ± 0.2, CT = 114 min, and Dose = 0.5 g/L). The findings underscore the maximum removal obtained at neutral pH, using a low dose of adsorbent in short CT highlights the novelty of this research. Additionally, the versatile nature of CSN@GO makes it a highly reliable material for mitigating emerging contaminants. • The use of sustainable and biocompatible materials for synthesis of CSN@GO showed a maximum removal of 67.6 % for CPFN. • pH and adsorbent dose were the influencing parameters, with optimal adsorption at pH 7. • RSM model demonstrated a good agreement between the predicted and experimental results. • Adsorption of CPFN on CSN@GO primarily driven by Hydrophobic, π-π, Electrostatic and Hydrogen bonding.