The prevalence of antibiotics has become a major concern in environmental remediation due to its association with bacterial resistance. Bioremediation has emerged as a tentative solution for this problem by the use of biological wastes and mechanisms that remove pollutants from aqueous systems. Carboxylated (C), sulfonated (S) and thiolated (T) spent tea leaves of chamomile (CM), green tea (GT) and peppermint (PM) were prepared in aqueous phase. Instrumental analysis indicates that chemical modification occurred. Moreover, addition of these groups slightly changed the morphological and thermal properties of these materials. Batch adsorption tests were conducted at room temperature at different pH, adsorbent dose, salinity, and other interfering substances. Results report that adsorption of Penicillin G is pH-dependent and that adsorption percentage increases by 61% when compared to the raw adsorbent. Adsorption percentages followed the trend: TPM≥SPM&gt;CPM&gt;&gt;PM. More tests are being conducted to obtain all equilibrium parameters to optimize the removal of Penicillin G.

Tailoring the surface of biowastes for their application as adsorbents of antibiotics

256th National Meeting (2018)

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