Thermodynamics of tetracycline adsorption on silica

The adsorption of antibiotic tetracycline onto silica particles was investigated. The effects of pH, electrolyte concentration and temperature on the adsorption equilibrium were examined and the data correlated with a dual site adsorption model. Adsorption of tetracycline onto approximately 9% of the adsorption sites was found to be irreversible, whereas the rest exhibited Langmuir behaviour. Increasing pH of the solution had a strong negative effect on the adsorbed amounts. Adsorption decreased also with increasing ionic strength and temperature. The enthalpy and entropy of adsorption were found to be approximately -16 and -25 J/mol, respectively.