Effect of sulfamethazine on surface characteristics of biochar colloids and its implications for transport in porous media

Abstract

Antibiotics are contaminants of emerging concern due to their potential effect on antibiotic resistance and human health. Antibiotics tend to sorb strongly to organic materials, and biochar, a high efficient agent for adsorbing and immobilizing pollutants, can thus be used for remediation of antibiotic-contaminated soil and water. The effect of ionizable antibiotics on surface characteristics and transport of biochar colloids (BC) in the environment is poorly studied. Column experiments of BC were conducted in 1 mM NaCl solution under three pH (5, 7, and 10) conditions in the presence of sulfamethazine (SMT). Additionally, the adsorption of SMT by BC and the zeta potential of BC were also studied. The experimental results showed that SMT sorption to BC was enhanced at pH 5 and 7, but reduced at pH 10. SMT sorption reduced the surface charge of BC at pH 5 and 7 due to charge shielding, but increased surface charge at pH 10 due to adsorption of the negatively charged SMT species. The mobility of BC was inhibited by SMT under acidic or neutral conditions, while enhanced by SMT under alkaline conditions, which can be well explained by the change of electrostatic repulsion between BC and sand grains. These findings imply that pH conditions played a crucial role in deciding whether the transport of BC would be promoted by SMT or not. Biochar for antibiotics remediation will be more effective under acidic and neutral soil conditions, and the mobility of BC will be less than in alkaline soils.