Assessing the acoustic cavitation added effect on the adsorption of copper and ciprofloxacin in wastewater

Emerging pollutants in wastewater pose severe challenges to urban sustainability and ecosystem health, as conventional treatment plants often struggle to remove them effectively. A promising method to enhance treatment efficiency is acoustic cavitation, a process induced by high-power ultrasound waves. This technique generates microbubbles that grow and collapse violently, creating extreme localized conditions of high temperature and pressure. These conditions stimulate radical formation and can enhance pollutant degradation and adsorption processes, significantly improving removal rates. In this study, ultrasound (US)-assisted adsorption increased removal rates substantially within minutes. Organic compost (OC) as an adsorbent achieved a 4.4-fold increase in copper (Cu) adsorption and a 1.7-fold increase in Ciprofloxacin (CIP) adsorption within the first minute of US application. Notably, US-assisted adsorption removed 70 % of CIP in 1 min and 89 % of Cu in 5 min, whereas traditional processes required 15 min for comparable CIP removal and only reached 69 % Cu removal after 30 min. These findings indicate that the US, acting as a catalyst, can positively enhance processes already proven effective in pollutant removal, with a particular emphasis on the adsorption of emerging contaminants using an organic compost derived from organic waste, aligning with a circular economy approach. • Ultrasound acts as a catalyst, accelerating adsorption and oxidative reactions. • Ultrasound boosts Cu and Ciprofloxacin adsorption by 4.4× and 1.7× in 1 min. • The most substantial catalytic impact occurs in the first 5 min of treatment. • Sorption on organic compost is highly improved.