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Norfloxacin adsorption by urban green waste biochar: characterization, kinetics, and mechanisms

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Abstract

Biochar, as a potential adsorbent, has been widely employed to remove pollutants from sewage. In this study, a lignin-based biochar (CB-800) was prepared by a simple high-temperature pyrolysis using urban green waste (Cinnamomum camphora leaves) as a feedstock to remove norfloxacin (NOR) from water. Batch adsorption test results indicated that CB-800 had a strong removal capacity for NOR at a wide range of pH values. The maximum adsorption achieved in the study was 50.90 ± 0.64 mg/g at 298 K. The pseudo-first and second-order kinetic models and the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm fitted the experimental data well, indicating that NOR adsorption by CB-800 was a complex process involving both physi-sorption and chemi-sorption. The physical properties of CB-800 were characterized by SEM and BET. The mesoporous structures were formed hierarchically on the surface of CB-800 (with an average pore size of 2.760 nm), and the spatial structure of NOR molecules was more easily adsorbed by mesoporous structures. Combined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, it was showed that the main NOR adsorption mechanisms by CB-800 included ion exchange, π-electron coordination, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic adsorption. Meanwhile, the reduction of C = O and pyridine nitrogen, and the presence of C-F2, also indicated the occurrence of substitution, addition, and redox. This study not only determined the reaction mechanism between biochar and NOR, but also provides guidance to waste managers for the removal of NOR from water by biochar. It is envisaged that the results will broaden the utilization of urban green waste.

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Funding

This work was supported by The Introduction of Talent Research Start-up Fund (No. 1122005), Jishou University, Hunan Province 416000, China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31860117), and National College Students` Innovation Training Program (202310531053). This work was also supported by a research fund from Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (2022NSFSC0393).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Recourse and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Jishou, 416000, People’s Republic of China

    Yu Zhou, Ziyan Wang, Wenyong Hu & Qiang Zhou

  2. Hunan Engineering Laboratory of Control and Remediation of Heavy Metal Pollution From Mn-Zn Mining, Jishou, Hunan, China

    Qiang Zhou

  3. School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Chengdu Technological University, Chengdu, 611730, China

    Jiao Chen

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  1. Yu Zhou
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  2. Ziyan Wang
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  3. Wenyong Hu
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  4. Qiang Zhou
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Contributions

Yu Zhou: conceptualization, methodology, validation, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, project administration, and funding acquisition. Ziyan Wang: investigation and validation. Jiao Chen: methodology, resources, writing—review and editing, and funding acquisition. Qiang Zhou: writing—review and editing, validation, and funding acquisition. Wenyong Hu: resources, visualization, writing—review and editing, and supervision.

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Correspondence to Yu Zhou.

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The research has no human and/or animal participants. All authors agree to the publication of the data. The authors declare that they agree with the publication of all data presented.

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Highlights

• Norfloxacin was removed using biochar of urban greening waste prepared (CB-800).

• CB-800 had a good adsorption effect on norfloxacin in a wide pH range.

• The main adsorption mechanisms between CB-800 and NOR were electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and π-π bonding.

• C = O, C = C, and pyrrolic-N play a key role in the adsorption of NOR by CB-800. Meanwhile, the presence of C-F2 indicates that chemical degradation occurs between biochar and NOR.

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Zhou, Y., Wang, Z., Hu, W. et al. Norfloxacin adsorption by urban green waste biochar: characterization, kinetics, and mechanisms. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 29088–29100 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33085-4

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