Synergistic adsorption and degradation of sulfamethoxazole from synthetic urine by hickory-sawdust-derived biochar: The critical role of the aromatic structure

Xu Zhang; Hong Yao; Xiaobo Lei; Qiyu Lian; William E Holmes; Ling Fei; Mark E Zappi; Daniel Dianchen Gang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126366

Synergistic adsorption and degradation of sulfamethoxazole from synthetic urine by hickory-sawdust-derived biochar: The critical role of the aromatic structure

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Sep 15:418:126366. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126366. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Authors

Xu Zhang¹, Hong Yao², Xiaobo Lei³, Qiyu Lian³, William E Holmes⁴, Ling Fei⁵, Mark E Zappi⁶, Daniel Dianchen Gang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Beijing International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Water Pollution Control Techniques for Antibiotics and Resistance genes, School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, 3 Shangyuancun, Beijing 100044, PR China; Department of Civil Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA.
² Beijing International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Water Pollution Control Techniques for Antibiotics and Resistance genes, School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, 3 Shangyuancun, Beijing 100044, PR China.
³ Department of Civil Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA; Energy Institute of Louisiana, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA.
⁴ Energy Institute of Louisiana, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA.
⁶ Energy Institute of Louisiana, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA.
⁷ Department of Civil Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA; Energy Institute of Louisiana, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA. Electronic address: daniel.gang@louisiana.edu.

PMID: 34130166
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126366

Abstract

This study investigated the adsorptive removal and subsequent degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from a synthetic urine by biochar (BC). The BCs used in this study were prepared using two different feedstocks with different temperatures. Element analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results suggested that the aromaticity of one of the BCs, 700HSBC was significantly different from the 700PSBC although both of them were prepared at the same temperature (700 °C) with similar pore size distributions and specific surface areas. Due to the presence of abundant aromatic structures, 700HSBC showed a higher SMX uptake than 700PSBC, suggesting that the π-π interaction was the main adsorption mechanism. The removal of SMX from the urine was significantly enhanced by adding hydrogen peroxide to the 700HSBC. The carbonate radicals degradation of SMX mechanism was proposed and verified. With 700HSBC having abundant aromatic structures acting as π-electron donors, it could be an efficient activator for peroxymonocarbonate (HCO₄^-) to generate carbonate radicals. Hence, it could be concluded that the aromatic structures on BCs play a key role in both of the adsorption and hydrogen peroxide degradation of the SMX resulting in its removal from urine.

Keywords: Aromatic structure; Biochar; Human urine; Peroxymonocarbonate; Sulfamethoxazole removal.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Charcoal
Sulfamethoxazole*
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
biochar
Charcoal
Sulfamethoxazole