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Improvement of activated carbon characteristics by sonication and its application for pharmaceutical contaminant adsorption

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Abstract

Sonicated activated carbon (SAC) was developed and used to remove ibuprofen and ketoprofen from aqueous media by adsorption. A standard activated carbon sample (AC) was used as comparison. Both adsorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 adsorption isotherms (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET)), helium gas pycnometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the adsorption study, kinetics, equilibrium, and thermodynamics were evaluated. SAC presented better characteristics than AC. Pseudo-second-order model was adequate to predict the kinetic curves. The isotherm data obeyed the Sips model. Thermodynamic results revealed a spontaneous and endothermic process, where physisorption was involved. The maximum adsorption capacities of SAC were 134.5 and 89.2 mg g−1 for ibuprofen and ketoprofen, respectively. For AC, the maximum adsorption capacities were 115.1 and 79.1 mg g−1 for ibuprofen and ketoprofen, respectively. The sonication technique presented great potential to improve the AC characteristics, generating a promising material (SAC) for ibuprofen and ketoprofen adsorption.

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Abbreviations

V P :

Pore volume, cm3 g−1

R% :

Pharmaceutical removal percentage, %

C 0 :

Initial pharmaceutical concentration, mg L−1

C e :

Equilibrium pharmaceutical concentration, mg L−1

q e :

Adsorption capacity at equilibrium, mg g−1

q t :

Adsorption capacity at any time, mg g−1

m :

Amount of adsorbent, g

V :

Volume of solution, L

q 1 :

Theoretical value for the adsorption capacity of PFO model, mg g−1

k 1 :

Rate constant of PFO model, min−1

q 2 :

Theoretical value for the adsorption capacity of PSO model, mg g−1

k 2 :

Rate constant of PSO model, g mg−1 min−1

t :

Time, min

k F :

Freundlich constant, (mg g−1)(mg L−1)–1/nF

1/n F :

Heterogeneity factor, dimensionless

q m :

Maximum adsorption capacity, mg g−1

k L :

Langmuir constant, L mg−1

k S :

Sips constant, L mg−1

m :

Sips isotherm model exponent

R 2 :

Coefficient of determination, dimensionless

R 2 adj :

Adjusted coefficient of determination, dimensionless

ARE :

Average relative error, %

AIC :

Akaike information criterion, dimensionless

ΔG o :

Standard Gibbs free energy change, kJ mol−1

ΔS o :

Standard entropy change, kJ mol−1

ΔH o :

Standard enthalpy change, kJ mol−1 K−1

K o :

Thermodynamic equilibrium constant, dimensionless

R :

Universal constant, kJ mol−1 K−1

T :

Temperature, K

λ max :

Maximum wave number

ρ p :

Particle density, kg m−3

ρ S :

Solid density, kg m−3

ε :

Void fraction

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Roraima Avenue, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Andressa Cristiana Fröhlich, Edson Luiz Foletto & Guilherme Luiz Dotto

  2. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Roraima Avenue, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Andressa Cristiana Fröhlich, Edson Luiz Foletto & Guilherme Luiz Dotto

  3. Graduate Program in Metallurgical, Mine and Materials Engineering (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Glaydson Simoes dos Reis

  4. The French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Spatial Planning, Development and Networks (IFSTTAR), MAST, GPEM, F-44344, Bouguenais, France

    Glaydson Simoes dos Reis

  5. University of Pampa, UNIPAMPA, Bagé, RS, 96412-420, Brazil

    Flávio André Pavan

  6. Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, P.O. Box 15003, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil

    Éder Cláudio Lima

Authors
  1. Andressa Cristiana Fröhlich
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  2. Glaydson Simoes dos Reis
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  3. Flávio André Pavan
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  4. Éder Cláudio Lima
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  5. Edson Luiz Foletto
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  6. Guilherme Luiz Dotto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guilherme Luiz Dotto.

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Responsible editor: Tito Roberto Cadaval Jr

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Fröhlich, A.C., dos Reis, G.S., Pavan, F.A. et al. Improvement of activated carbon characteristics by sonication and its application for pharmaceutical contaminant adsorption. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 24713–24725 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2525-x

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