Insight into the adsorptive removal of ibuprofen using porous carbonaceous materials: A review

Over the last decade, the removal of pharmaceuticals from aquatic bodies has garnered substantial attention from the scientific community. Ibuprofen (IBP), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is released into the envi-ronment in pharmaceutical waste as well as medical, hospital, and household effluents. Adsorption technology is a highly efficient approach to reduce the IBP in the aquatic environment, particularly at low IBP concentrations. Due to the exceptional surface properties of carbonaceous materials, they are considered ideal adsorbents for the IBP removal of, with high binding capacity. Given the importance of the topic, the adsorptive removal of IBP from effluent using various carbonaceous adsorbents, including activated carbon, biochar, graphene-based materials, and carbon nanostructures, has been compiled and critically reviewed. Furthermore, the adsorption behavior, binding mechanisms, the most effective parameters, thermodynamics, and regeneration methods as well as the cost analysis were comprehensively reviewed for modified and unmodified carbonaceous adsorbents. The compiled studies on the IBP adsorption shows that the IBP uptake of some carbon-based adsorbents is significantly than that of commercial activated carbons. In the future, much attention is needed for practical utilization and upscaling of the research findings to aid the management and sustainability of water resource.

Automated summary

In the past decade, the removal of pharmaceuticals from aquatic bodies has received significant attention. Ibuprofen (IBP), a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug, is released into the environment through pharmaceutical waste and wastewater. Adsorption technology using carbonaceous materials has been found to be highly effective in reducing IBP in low concentrations. This comprehensive review examines the use of various carbonaceous adsorbents for IBP removal, including activated carbon, biochar, graphene-based materials, and carbon nanostructures. The studies compiled in this review indicate that some carbon-based adsorbents have higher IBP uptake than commercial activated carbons. More attention is needed for practical application and scaling up of these research findings to support water resource management and sustainability.