Abstract
Activated carbons from argan nutshells were prepared by chemical activation using phosphoric acid H3PO4. This material was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectrometry, and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. The adsorption of two emerging compounds, a stimulant caffeine and an anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, from distilled water through batch and dynamic tests was investigated. Batch mode experiments were conducted to assess the capacity of adsorption of caffeine and diclofenac from an aqueous solution using the carbon above. Adsorption tests showed that the equilibrium time is 60 and 90 min for diclofenac and caffeine, respectively. The adsorption of diclofenac and caffeine on activated carbon from argan nutshells is described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The highest adsorption capacity determined by the mathematical model of Langmuir is about 126 mg/g for diclofenac and 210 mg/g for caffeine. The thermodynamic parameters attached to the studied absorbent/adsorbate system indicate that the adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic for diclofenac and endothermic for caffeine.
Highlights
With the continuous increase of human demand for the environment, many pollutants with low content in the environment but with great harm have gradually attracted people’s attention, such as anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, etc., which are called emerging contaminants (ECs)
The results show that the phosphoric acid obtained the highest specific surface area, highest pore volume, and narrow pore size distribution (Table 3)
The adsorption experiments show that the argan shells used were very effective in removing emerging contaminants such as diclofenac and caffeine at relatively low concentrations in aqueous medium
Summary
With the continuous increase of human demand for the environment, many pollutants with low content in the environment but with great harm have gradually attracted people’s attention, such as anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, etc., which are called emerging contaminants (ECs). ECs are a group of chemical pollutants that have potential threats to human health and the ecological environment. They are very complex organic matters and generally exist in water. ECs usually comes from medicines, personal care products, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, persistent organic pollutants, disinfection byproducts, and other industrial chemicals [1]. These ECs persist in the environment and last for a long time. The concentration of these ECs in water is relatively low, they may have potential impacts on the environment and human health through the food chain after being accumulated by organisms [3]. How to effectively remove ECs in water has received widespread attention
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