This study investigated the adsorptive removal of target fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines by biochar made by yak dung collected from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Yak dung biochar pyrolyzed at 700 °C possessed surface area of 198.745 m2 g-1 and multiple functional groups. Effects of different factors including biochar dosage, pH, temperature, and initial concentration on adsorption of antibiotics were discussed. The biochar dosage of 1 g L-1 was preferable for adsorptive removal of antibiotics. Adsorption of target antibiotics did not show pH-dependent features. Adsorption capacities of fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines positively increased with temperature and initial concentration. Pseudo-second order model and the Freundlich model better fitted the experimental kinetic and isotherm data, respectively. Yak dung biochar provides a new idea on resource utilization of solid wastes and pollution control in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Keywords: Adsorption; Antibiotics; Kinetics and isotherms; Yak dung biochar.