Adsorptive removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution by maple leaf-derived biochar

Ji Eun Kim; Shashi Kant Bhatia; Hak Jin Song; Eunjin Yoo; Hyeon Jin Jeon; Jae-Yoon Yoon; Yunjeong Yang; Ranjit Gurav; Yung-Hun Yang; Hyung Joo Kim; Yong-Keun Choi

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123092

Adsorptive removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution by maple leaf-derived biochar

Bioresour Technol. 2020 Jun:306:123092. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123092. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Biological Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea; The Academy of Applied Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: dragonrt@konkuk.ac.kr.

PMID: 32163869
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123092

Abstract

The present study evaluates the physicochemical properties of maple leaf-derived biochars (M-BCs) produced at different pyrolytic temperatures (i.e., 350, 550, and 750 °C) and their adsorptive properties for tetracycline onto M-BCs. The increase in pyrolysis temperature to produce M-BCs led to a significant increase in the biochar's hydrophobicity, surface area, and calcite (CaCO₃) crystallization. The M-BC750 produced without functionalization or activation possessed a high calcite composition and a hydrophobic nature with lower O/C and H/C, hydroxyl groups (-OH) on the surface, and functional groups (i.e., O-containing) as H-bond acceptors. Among M-BCs, the M-BC750 present a highest TC adsorption capacity owing to possible mechanisms such as metal complexation, H-bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. The isotherm and kinetic models for TC adsorption followed the Freundlich models and pseudo-second-order models, respectively. M-BCs produced from the waste fallen maple leaves could be applied as low-cost environmental adsorbents for TC removal.

Keywords: Biochar; Hydrophobic nature; Maple leaf; Pyrolysis; Tetracycline.