|
Remove Sulfamethoxazole from Synthetic Urine by Biochar Derived from Hickory Sawdust
research
The recovery of phosphorus from the human urine is attracting significant interest as an alternative fertilizer source in support of agricultural production. Pharmaceutical residues in human urine hinder its application as a fertilizer for crop growth due to the aforementioned ecological and human impacts. Hence, it is necessary to remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater effluents. Biochar is a relatively low-cost developing adsorbent with a high specific surface area and has been applied toward the removal of various pharmaceuticals from aqueous influents and soil environments. Meanwhile, BC also could serve as an activator for some chemical oxidizers, such as hydrogen peroxide, peroxymonosulfate, peroxydisulfate, and monochloramine. It is envisioned that adding chemical oxidizers directly into urine then passing this solution through cartridges containing BCs would be a very effective way to remove the pharmaceuticals prior to discharge into wastewater collection systems.
The object of this study was to develop and evaluate the application of biochar for the removal of SMX from human urine. Hence, hickory sawdust, as a feedstock containing a high percentage of lignin, was used as one candidate feedstock for BC while peanut shell, which are composed mainly of hemicellulose, was chosen as the other candidate BC feedstock and was considered as the reference case. The characteristics of as-prepared BCs were tested by element analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brunner Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area. SMX adsorption by various process formulations of the BCs and degradation by BCs/H2O2 in the synthetic urine was then evaluated. A key research interest was the role bicarbonate in urine played in with the presence of H2O2. Finally, the mechanism of HCO4- activation by BC was explored. This research not only expands the application of BC for sulfonamide antibiotics removal in urine, but also reveals the HCO4- activation mechanism by BC.
|
|
|
