Abstract
Acetaminophen (ACT), an antipyretic analgesic, is one of the emerging pollutants that has been found in high concentrations in domestic and hospital wastewaters. This study compared the adsorption capacity of sugarcane bagasse (SB) and corn cob (CC) for the ACT removal through the dynamic simulation of the adsorption column using Aspen Adsorption® V10. The effects of flow rate (1.5–3.0 mL min− 1), ACT initial concentration (40–80 mg L− 1), and bed height (20–35 cm) on the breakthrough curves were studied. Finally, the simulation results were validated with experimental studies, and analyzed by error functions, sum of squared errors (SSE), absolute average deviation (AAD), and coefficient of determination (R2). Based on the predicted breakthrough curves, ACT is adsorbed in greater quantity on CC, with saturation times and adsorption capacity greater than SB in all simulations. The maximum adsorption capacity was 0.47 and 0.32 mg g− 1 for CC and SB, respectively, under condition of flow rate of 1.5 mL min− 1, bed height of 25 cm, and ACT initial concentration of 80 mg L− 1. Breakthrough and saturation times were higher when the column operated at low flow rates, large bed height, and low ACT concentrations, for both adsorbents. The predicted and experimental breakthrough curves satisfactorily coincided with R2 values greater than 0.97, SSE and AAD values less than 5% and 0.2, respectively, for all studies. The experimental adsorption capacity was greater for CC than for SB, thus confirming that the software is able to predict which adsorbent may be more effective for ACT removal. The results of this study would speed up the search for effective materials to remove ACT from wastewaters.
Highlights
Pharmaceutical products are one of the emerging pollutants that have been of particular concern
A model made up of the mass balance, linear lumped resistance model, and Langmuir isotherm was proposed in Aspen Adsorption® to determine the breakthrough curves of ACT adsorption on sugarcane bagasse and corn cob, and compare adsorption capacity of both adsorbents
Saturation times and adsorption capacity obtained are greater than sugarcane bagasse in all simulations carried out
Summary
Pharmaceutical products are one of the emerging pollutants that have been of particular concern. Pharmaceutical products are chemical compounds of complex structures of synthetic or natural origin, they contain active ingredients intended to counteract negative effects on the health of human and animals These drugs end up in wastewater due to improper disposal of expired or unused drugs, In particular, acetaminophen (ACT), better known as paracetamol, is one of the most prescribed antiinflammatory and antipyretic drugs, and Juela Sustainable Environment Research (2020) 30:23 the most widely used in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East [6]. The concentrations detected in most countries are at a very low level (μg L− 1), recent researches have exposed negative effects of some aquatic organisms exposed to these levels, such as DNA and reproductive system damage, oxidative stress, tissue accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and behavioral changes observed in algae, microcrustaceans, mollusks, and teleost fish [12]
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