Using solar-TiO2 and biocarbon to decompose and adsorb amoxicillin from polluted waters

Abstract

Surface water discharge of domestic sewage poses a treat mostly due to antibiotics content as amoxicillin. Its environmental presence provides the bacterial resistance enhancement and disturbance in aquatic life. The biocarbon is an organic carbon compound obtained by biomass pyrolisis at 300oC to 750oC under low oxygen environment. It is an effective adsorbent derived from agricultural and industrial solid biomass also frequently used to remove various pollutants, including dyes, pesticides, organic compounds and heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The importance of this natural material rises as low cost abundant and renewable alternative to activated carbon used on wastewater treatment application. Several technologies are employed to modify crude precursors on biocarbon preparation including chemical, physical and biological treatments with the addition of functional groups. The raw biomass material also provides some radicals and humic acids with promising water adsorbent results. The integrated process of the efficient Solar-TiO2photodecomposition followed by biocarbon adsorption resulted on 94% of amoxicillin removal percentage and avoids the toxic treatment sludge production.