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Paracetamol and amoxicillin adsorptive removal from aqueous solution using phosphoric acid activated-carbon

  • Munawar Iqbal , Muhammad Shahid , Zahid Ali , Arif Nazir EMAIL logo , Fatimah Othman Alqahtani , Muhammad Zaheer , Samar Z. Alshawwa , Dure Najaf Iqbal , Umer Younas and Attaullah Bukhari
Published/Copyright: February 8, 2023
Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie
From the journal Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie Volume 237 Issue 3

Abstract

Charcoal-based materials have attracted much attention for the removal of pharmaceutical agents. The charcoal-based carbon materials have green synthetic routes, high surface area, numerous active site with active functional groups available for physico-chemical interactions with adsorbate for surface-adsorptive removal of toxins. In this study, acid treated activated carbon was developed from the peach seeds using thermal pyrolysis approach. Phosphoric acid activated carbon (PAC) was further modified by HNO3 and employed as an adsorbent for the removal of amoxicillin and paracetamol and process variables were optimized for enhanced removal of amoxicillin and paracetamol. The adsorption of pharmaceutical agents was significantly affected by temperature, pH and reaction time. The amoxicillin and paracetamol sorption process onto PCA followed a pseudo second order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum removal capacity of 51.8 mg/g and 51.1 mg/g, respectively. The results revealed that acid activated carbon has promising efficiency for the removal of amoxicillin and paracetamol from aqueous medium and peach seeds derived PCA could be employed for the removal of these pharmaceutical agents from effluents and PAC is also extendable for the removal of other drugs from pharmaceutical wastewater streams.

Keywords: activated carbon; adsorption; environmental pollution; kinetics; pharmaceutical agents
Corresponding author: Arif Nazir, Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore 53700, Pakistan, E-mail:

Funding source: Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Award Identifier / Grant number: PNURSP2023R165

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their appreciation to Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2023R165), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We are also cordially thankful to Dr. Abdul Qayyum Athar, director of Applied Chemistry Research Center (ACRC) PCSIR laboratories Lahore, for their assistance during the study.

  1. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: This research was funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2023R165), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  3. Conflict of interest statement: Author declares no conflict of interest.

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Received: 2021-10-12
Accepted: 2023-01-22
Published Online: 2023-02-08
Published in Print: 2023-03-28

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Original Papers
  3. New imidazolium-based ionic liquids for mitigating carbon steel corrosion in acidic condition
  4. Kinetic studies and conditions optimizations for the removal of direct red 80 dye from wastewater using cotton calyx and iron oxide composite
  5. Paracetamol and amoxicillin adsorptive removal from aqueous solution using phosphoric acid activated-carbon
  6. Review Articles
  7. Cocrystals; basic concepts, properties and formation strategies
  8. The most popular and effective synthesis processes for Co3O4 nanoparticles and their benefit in preventing corrosion
  9. Strategies for CO2 capture: positive and negative feature
https://doi.org/10.1515/zpch-2021-3149
Keywords for this article
activated carbon; adsorption; environmental pollution; kinetics; pharmaceutical agents

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Original Papers
  3. New imidazolium-based ionic liquids for mitigating carbon steel corrosion in acidic condition
  4. Kinetic studies and conditions optimizations for the removal of direct red 80 dye from wastewater using cotton calyx and iron oxide composite
  5. Paracetamol and amoxicillin adsorptive removal from aqueous solution using phosphoric acid activated-carbon
  6. Review Articles
  7. Cocrystals; basic concepts, properties and formation strategies
  8. The most popular and effective synthesis processes for Co3O4 nanoparticles and their benefit in preventing corrosion
  9. Strategies for CO2 capture: positive and negative feature
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