Removal of levofloxacin from aqueous solution using rice-husk and wood-chip biochars

The potential for rice husk (RH) and wood chip (WC) biochars to remove levofloxacin (LEV) from aqueous solution was evaluated. The physical and chemical properties of the biochars were characterized using various tools and techniques. Furthermore, batch sorption experiments were conducted to determine the sorption ability of the biochars to LEV. The pseudo-second order kinetic model described the sorption kinetic data better than the pseudo-first order kinetic model and the Elovich equation because the process involved both surface adsorption and pore diffusion. For the isotherms, the Langmuir equation fitted the data better than the Freundlich equation. The maximum Langmuir sorption capacities of the biochars to LEV ranged from 1.49 to 7.72 mg g(-1). Thermodynamic parameters obtained from the experiments showed that the adsorption of LEV onto the WC biochar was spontaneous and exothermic, while its adsorption onto the RH biochar was spontaneous and endothermic under tested conditions. A mixture of 0.025 M phosphate buffer (80%, pH 3.0) and acetonitrile (20%) effectively desorbed the LEV from the biochars with a recovery rate up to 80%. Findings from this work indicate that biochars can be used as an alternative adsorbent to effectively remove emerging contaminants including LEV from aqueous solutions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.