Low-cost biochar derived from herbal residue: characterization and application for ciprofloxacin adsorption

Thermally carbonization biochar produced from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine waste ( Astragalus mongholicus residue) was investigated for its performance in ciprofloxacin adsorption. Batch sorption experiments were conducted, and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analyses were employed to characterize the biochar. The results demonstrated that thermal activation process improves the adsorbent characteristics. Biochar produced at 800 °C had the best adsorption capacity, a better pore structure and the largest surface areas. The adsorption process fit well to a pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The adsorption isothermal model results revealed that the adsorption process of ciprofloxacin is described better by the Freundlich isotherm and the type of adsorption is a chemical process. The maximum adsorption of ciprofloxacin occurred at pH 7. The present research demonstrated that A. mongholicus biochar might be an attractive and cost-effective adsorbent with good adsorption performance for removing ciprofloxacin from water solution.