Removal of Amoxicillin From Wastewater Onto Activated Carbon: Optimization of Analytical Parameters by Response Surface Methodology

Antibiotics are widely used in veterinary and human medicine, but these compounds, when released into the aquatic environment, present potential risks to living organisms. In the present study, the activated carbon (AC) used for their removals is characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, BET analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to determine the physicochemical characteristics. Response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken statistical design (BBD) were used to optimize important parameters including pH (2-12), temperature (20-45 degrees C), and AC dose (0.05-0.20 g). The experimental data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and fitted to second-order polynomial using multiple regression analysis. The optimal conditions for maximum elimination of Amoxicillin (Amox) are (Dose: 0.124 g, pH 5.03 and 45 degrees C) by applying the desirability function (df). A confirmation experiment was carried out to evaluate the accuracy of the optimization model and maximum removal efficiency (R = 89.999%) was obtained under the optimized conditions. Several error analysis equations were used to measure goodness of fit. Pareto analysis suggests the importance of the relative order of factors: pH > Temperature > AC dose in optimized situations. The equilibrium adsorption data of Amox on Activated Carbone were analyzed by Freundlich, Elovich, Temkin and Langmuir models. The latter gave the best correlation with q(max) capacities of 142.85 mg/g (R-2 = 0.999) at 25 degrees C is removed from solution. The adsorption process is dominated by chemisorption and the kinetic model obeys a pseudo-second order model (R-2 = 0.999).