Enhancing the selective ciprofloxacin adsorption in urine matrices through the metal-doping of carbon sorbents

Author(s)

Ersan, Gamze ; dos Santos, Alexsandro J. ; Lanza, Marcos R. V. ; Perreault, Francois ; Garcia-Segura, Sergi

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Environmental Management; v. 348, p. 8-pg., 2023-10-14.

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals excreted after administration can pollute water sources given their ineffective removal in conventional wastewater treatment plant. Among the techniques used during tertiary wastewater treatment, adsorption is an effective and cost-efficient method for removing antibiotics. This study aimed to investigate the adsorption of ciprofloxacin (CIP) on metal-doped granular activated carbon (GAC) and evaluate the impact of urine on CIP adsorption for pristine, pre-oxidized, and metal-doped GAC. The results showed that the uptake of CIP by iron (Fe)-doped GAC was higher than Ag-doped, pre-oxidized, and pristine GAC in single-solute isotherms (DI water). This higher uptake was attributed to the presence of Fe content (1.2%) on the carbon surface, which can strongly interact with zwitterionic CIP at a neutral pH. However, when synthetic human urine was introduced, the adsorption of CIP was negatively affected due to pore blockage and competition for available sorption sites on the GAC. Among the four types of GACs tested, the lowest reduction in CIP uptake in the urine solution was observed for Fe-doped GAC followed (%17) by pre-oxidized (64%), Ag-doped (%69), and pristine F400 (76%) carbon. These results suggested that the complexation between CIP and Fe-doped GAC in urine was stronger due to its higher functionalization compared to Ag-doped, pre-oxidized, and pristine GAC. As the equilibrium concentration of CIP increased, the competition between CIP and urine decreased on the surface of Fe-doped carbon, owing to the limited competition from urine for the available active sorption sites. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/10118-0 - Study and application of electrochemical technology for the analysis and degradation of endocrine interferents: materials, sensors, processes and scientific dissemination
• Grantee: Marcos Roberto de Vasconcelos Lanza
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/20634-0 - Treatment of wastewater contaminated with endocrine interferences through the application of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes: synergistic effect of different carbon supported cathodes
• Grantee: Alexsandro Jhones dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 21/08701-4 - Application of electrochemically driven technologies to remove real concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in complex water matrices
• Grantee: Alexsandro Jhones dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• FAPESP's process: 14/50945-4 - INCT 2014: National Institute for Alternative Technologies of Detection, Toxicological Evaluation and Removal of Micropollutants and Radioactivies
• Grantee: Maria Valnice Boldrin
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants