Effective Adsorption of Pharmaceuticals by Plant Based-Activated Biochar

Abstract Pharmaceuticals play a crucial role in human health and animal well-being. However, wastewater treatment plants often have limited removal efficiency for these substances, classifying pharmaceuticals as persistent environmental contaminants. This study investigates activated biochar produced from Anthriscus sylvestris (ASBS) for the adsorption of tetracycline (TET) and ciprofloxacin (CIPF) using batch and fixed-bed column experiments. The adsorbent showed high adsorption capacities (402.75 mg g −1 for TET; 582.18 mg g −1 for CIPF) and equilibrium was achieved after 1400 and 380 min, respectively. Adsorption followed the Langmuir and the pseudo-second-order models and was governed by multiple interactions, such as π-π electron donor–acceptor (EDA) interactions, cation-π bond, and hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, fixed-bed column studies confirmed the potential for continuous treatment under various concentrations and flow rates. Overall, this study demonstrates a practical method for producing a low-cost adsorbent that can effectively reduce pharmaceutical contamination in aqueous solutions.