Diclofenac Removal in Fixed Bed Adsorption Using Hydrochar from Coffee Grounds: Performance Evaluation

Diclofenac Removal in Fixed Bed Adsorption Using Hydrochar from Coffee Grounds: Performance Evaluation

• Autor
• Alice de Barros Ferro
• Co-autores
• Kaline C. Vasconcelos , Leonardo M. T. M. Oliveira , José Leandro da Silva Duarte , Josealdo Tonholo
• Resumo

• The adsorption of diclofenac using coffee grounds biochar in adsorption process has been recently considered as a promising approach for the wastewater treatment in contaminations with this emerging pollutant. Biochar produced from coffee grounds has a surface rich in functional groups such as carboxyls and hydroxyls, which would facilitate the adsorption of several organic contaminants. Therefore, in this work was synthesized hydrochar using hydrothermal methodology, and experiments were conducted in fixed bed adsorption at different heights (1 cm and 3 cm) revealed that the removal efficiency of diclofenac is significantly influenced by the column height and the amount of available adsorbent. In a 3 cm bed height, the adsorption efficiency reached approximately 70%, indicating a good removal capacity for diclofenac. In contrast, When using a 1 cm bed, the efficiency was reduced to approximately 20%, indicating that a lower amount of adsorbent leads to faster saturation and less efficient adsorption. The analysis of the breakthrough curves obtained during the process showed that the increase of the column height and the adsorbent mass are would be essential to maximize the process efficiency. Despite the predictions observed in the smaller columns, coffee grounds biochar stands out as a sustainable and low-cost alternative for the removal of diclofenac from wastewater, with potential for application in long-scale treatments after optimization of operational conditions. 

• Palavras-chave
• Emerging Pollutants; Thomas Model; Activated Adsorbents; Hospital Effluents.; Hydrothermal synthesis.
• Área Temática
• Adsorção aplicada ao meio ambiente