Adsorption Of Pharmaceutical Compounds Research Articles

How the chitosan structure can affect the adsorption of pharmaceuticals from wastewaters: An overview

The disposal of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater is a significant environmental and health challenge. These drug residues can have adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide derived from chitin, is promising as an effective material for adsorbing pharmaceutical waste due to its unique chemical structure containing amino and hydroxy functional groups that facilitate interactions with organic molecules in wastewater. Chitosan can adopt various structural forms, such as hydrogels, nanoparticles, beads, membranes, fibers, and aerogels, which offer opportunities to optimize its performance in adsorbing drug waste. In this review, which includes articles published in the last 5 years, the influence of chitosan's structural forms, particularly on the adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater is explored. Furthermore, the different synthesis and fabrication methods for each chitosan form and highlight their characteristics, advantages, and specific applications, are discussed. Additionally, this review delves into the adsorption mechanisms involved in each form.

Recent advances in new generation nanocomposite materials for adsorption of pharmaceuticals from aqueous environment.

With rapid increase in the human population, a large amount of wastewater is generated every year. The availability of fresh water is decreasing at an alarming rate due to rapid industrialization and agricultural development. Pharmaceutical drugs which are credited for improving standards of life worldwide have emerged as major water contaminants, raising global concern about their potential risk to human health and environment. The presence of pharmaceutical compounds is detected in surface water (sea, river, lakes, etc.), groundwater, effluents from municipal, hospitals, and wastewater treatment plants, and even in drinking water. Efficient removal of pharmaceutical pollutants still remains a challenging task. Many techniques, including photodegradation, photocatalysis, oxidation, reverse osmosis, biodegradation, nanofiltration, adsorption, etc., have been used for the remediation of wastewater. Adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds on nanoadsorbents, as a low-cost and feasible technology, has gained immense popularity for wastewater treatment over the last decade. Adsorption techniques can be integrated with wastewater treatment plants to achieve efficient removal on an industrial level. Herein, we review the literature on the remediation techniques used for the pharmaceutical waste treatment using carbon nanotubes, metal oxides, nanoclay, and new-generation MXenes via adsorption. These materials show excellent adsorptive properties owing to their high surface area, low cost, high porosity, easy functionalization, and high surface reactivity. The adsorption mechanism of the nanoadsorbents and their reusability as a factor of sustainability have also been included in the review. The factors affecting the adsorption, including pH, the concentration of adsorbate, ionic strength, and adsorbate dose, have also been discussed.

Nano-adsorbents an effective candidate for removal of toxic pharmaceutical compounds from aqueous environment: A critical review on emerging trends

Advancements in medical research has resulted in the modernization of healthcare facilities, subsequently leading to a higher level of production and usage of pharmaceuticals to sustain better quality of life. Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) possess high genotoxicity and eco-toxicity thus presenting numerous side effects to living beings on long-term exposure. The fate and toxicity of PhACs were explored in detail, aiming to elucidate their occurrence and transmission in wastewater treatment systems (WWTPs). Adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds using Nano-adsorbents has gained momentum in recent years owing to their low-cost, high surface area and effectiveness. This review has been conducted in order to widen the utilization of Nano adsorbents in the adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds with a focus on the aqueous environment. The synthesis routes and properties of Nano-adsorbents for removal of PhACs were assessed in a comprehensive way. The recovery and reuse ability of nano-adsorbents also forms an integral part of its application in the removal of PhACs and has hence been delineated.

Physicochemical Properties of Activated Carbon: Their Effect on the Adsorption of Pharmaceutical Compounds and Adsorbate–Adsorbent Interactions

The adsorption of salicylic acid, acetaminophen, and methylparaben (pharmaceutical products derived from phenol) on carbons activated with different surface chemistries was carried out. We evaluated the effect of the physicochemical properties of the adsorbent and adsorbates on the adsorption capacity. A study of the adsorbate–adsorbent interactions via immersion calorimetry in the analytes solutions at different concentrations was included, in addition to the equilibrium data analysis. The results show that the pharmaceutical compounds (2.28–0.71 mmol g−1) have lower adsorption capacities in the activated carbon with the highest content of oxygenated groups (acids), while the activated carbons with amphoteric characteristics increase the capacities of adsorption (2.60–1.38 mmol g−1). This behavior may be associated with the increased affinity between the adsorbent and solvent due to the presence of polar groups, which was corroborated by the high immersion enthalpy value in water (ΔHimmH2O = −66.6 J g−1). The equilibrium data, adjusted to the Freundlich adsorption model, indicated that the heterogeneous adsorption processes involve immersion enthalpy values between −9.42 and −24.3 J g−1.

Adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds and an endocrine disruptor from aqueous solutions by carbon materials

Adsorption has been used to study the removal of atenolol, caffeine, diclofenac and isoproturon, pharmaceutical compounds as emerging contaminants and an endocrine disruptor from ultrapure water and a municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent with three carbonaceous materials: activated carbon, multiwalled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers. The adsorption capacities were studied in the temperature range of 25–65°C and pH range from 3 to 9. Several model isotherms were used to model the adsorption equilibrium data. Also, the competitive adsorption was evaluated.