Design and fabrication of nano-composite ceramic membranes for the adsorption of antibiotics from pharmaceutical wastewater
Antibiotic contamination in pharmaceutical wastewater poses environmental and public health risks. This study synthesized a nanocomposite ceramic adsorbent from clay, cow bone powder (hydroxyapatite nanoparticles), and human hair for antibiotic removal. The adsorbent exhibited high mechanical strength (3.6 bar), chemical stability, and a large surface area (171.32 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>-1</sup>). Characterization (FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, BET) confirmed successful nanoparticle incorporation. In a vertical fixed-bed column, optimal removal occurred at pH 7, 25 g adsorbent, 25 °C, and 40 min contact time. Adsorption was endothermic, following pseudo-first-order and intraparticle diffusion models. The adsorbent retained >90% efficiency after 142 regeneration cycles, proving its durability and cost-effectiveness.
Authors
- Ali Aghababai Beni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4434-9525)
- Ali Montazeri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5198-9539)
- Soheila Hedayatikhah
- Mina Haghmohammadi
- Mohsen Moghimi Dehkordi
- Mozhgan Amiri Baramkohi
Institutions
- Islamic Azad University Mahshahr (IR)
- Islamic Azad University of Shahrekord (IR)
- Materials and Energy Research Center (IR)
- Payame Noor University (IR)
- Semnan University (IR)
- University of Zanjan (IR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- RSC Advances
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra00414d
- Citations
- 16
- Primary Topic
- Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 13.07