Investigating Biochar as potential remediator of Ciprofloxacin in hospital wastewater

Abstract

This thesis investigates the potential for the cheap, easy-to-produce adsorbent Biochar for use as a remediator of the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, which is known to pollute bodies of water especially downstream from hospitals and wastewater treatment plants. This will be done primarily through batch adsorption experiments, and these were performed first with only Ciprofloxacin in solution, then with the inclusion of competing molecule Paracetamol. It was found that Biochar has potensial to be effective for this use, adsorbing as much as 40% of Ciprofloxacin in rather concentrated solution. It was also found that Biochar still adsorbs in the presence of large concentrations of Paracetamol, albeit with reduced effect. The various Biochar samples were also characterized with a variety of methods, including TGA and N2-sorption.

This thesis investigates the potential for the cheap, easy-to-produce adsorbent Biochar for use as a remediator of the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, which is known to pollute bodies of water especially downstream from hospitals and wastewater treatment plants. This will be done primarily through batch adsorption experiments, and these were performed first with only Ciprofloxacin in solution, then with the inclusion of competing molecule Paracetamol. It was found that Biochar has potensial to be effective for this use, adsorbing as much as 40% of Ciprofloxacin in rather concentrated solution. It was also found that Biochar still adsorbs in the presence of large concentrations of Paracetamol, albeit with reduced effect. The various Biochar samples were also characterized with a variety of methods, including TGA and N2-sorption.