Sustainable management of cut flowers waste by activation and its application in wastewater treatment technology

Cut flowers and floral waste (CFW) is a major concern in the present era. This study emphasizes the reuse of cut flowers as a neat bioadsorbent and activated carbon (AC). The biomass from the cut flowers was utilized as a neat bioadsorbent for the removal of the antibiotic levofloxacin and lead ions from water. The results revealed that the neat bioadsorbent was able to remove 60% levofloxacin and 45% of lead ions. Upon chemical activation of the CFW (using KOH), almost all levofloxacin and more than 99% of lead ions were removed. Physical activation (using CO2) gave a material that removed 90% of levofloxacin and 85% of lead ions. The adsorption of levofloxacin and lead ions on all the adsorbents followed Langmuir isotherms and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results have been further explained via the prediction of interaction energies between the adsorbates and adsorbents using COSMO-RS simulation.

Automated summary

This study focuses on reusing cut flowers as a neat bioadsorbent and activated carbon to remove levofloxacin and lead ions from water. Chemical and physical activation of the cut flower biomass lead to efficient removal of the contaminants, following Langmuir isotherms and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The interaction energies between adsorbates and adsorbents were further analyzed using COSMO-RS simulation.