Cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanoparticles supported on olive stone biochar (OSBC) was used as an efficient sorbent for rifampicin (RIFM) and tigecycline (TIGC) from wastewater. Thermal stabilities, morphologies, textures, and surface functionalities of two adsorbents; OSBC and Co-OSBC were compared. BET analysis indicated that Co-OSBC possesses a larger surface area (39.85 m2/g) and higher pore-volume compared to the pristine OSBC. FT-IR analysis showed the presence of critical functional groups on the surface of both adsorbents. SEM and EDX analyses showed the presence of both meso- and macropores and confirmed the presence of Co3O4 nanoparticles on the adsorbent surface. Batch adsorption studies were controlled using a two-level full-factorial design (2k-FFD). Adsorption efficiency of Co-OSBC was evaluated in terms of the % removal (%R) and the sorption capacity (qe, mg/g) as a function of four variables: pH, adsorbent dose (AD), drug concentration, and contact time (CT). A %R of 95.18% and 75.48% could be achieved for RIFM and TIGC, respectively. Equilibrium studies revealed that Langmuir model perfectly fit the adsorption of RIFM compared to Freundlich model for TIGC. Maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) for RIFM and TIGC was 61.10 and 25.94 mg/g, respectively. Adsorption kinetics of both drugs could be best represented using the pseudo-second order (PSO) model.
Keywords: cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co3O4); full factorial design; olive stones biochar; rifampicin; tigecycline; wastewater.