Adsorptive removal of acetaminophen and diclofenac using NaX nanozeolites synthesized by microwave method

The adsorption of acetaminophen (ATP) and diclofenac (DCF) from aqueous systems was investigated using NaX nanozeolites synthesized by microwave heating method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. The effect of sorption parameters including adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration and temperature on the removal of ATP and DCF was studied in a batch system. The kinetic data were analyzed using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and double-exponential kinetic models. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models were used to describe the equilibrium data of ATP and DCF. Thermodynamic parameters were determined to evaluate the nature of ATP and DCF sorption by NaX nanozeolites. The results showed that both ATP and DCF sorption processes were endothermic and spontaneous in the studied conditions. The reusability of NaX nanozeolites was also evaluated after four sorptiondesorption cycles. Moreover, this study provides a promising adsorbent with higher efficiency for adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds.