Diclofenac sodium and paracetamol removal with ZnCl2 activated carbon produced from rice straw.

ABSTRACT

This study explored the efficacy of activated carbon derived from rice straw and treated with ZnCl2 (ZnCl2-RS) for the removal of diclofenac sodium (DCF) and paracetamol (PCM) through an adsorption process. The investigation included examining the variations in removal efficiency at different pH levels and ZnCl2-RS doses. The characteristics of the ZnCl2-RS, prepared for the study, were determined through SEM and FTIR analyses, revealing a composition of 49.4% carbon and 8.3% zinc. At pH 5, the adsorption efficiency for DCF and PCM was enhanced, achieving removal rates of 92.2% for DCF and 89.1% for PCM with 0.2 g of ZnCl2-RS. The adsorption of DCF and PCM by ZnCl2-RS followed pseudo-second-order kinetic and adhered to the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacities were calculated as 26.04 mg/g for DCF and 19.05 mg/g for PCM. In conclusion, the cost-effective production of activated carbon from agricultural waste like rice straw yielded a promising adsorbent material for efficiently removing pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac sodium and paracetamol. This approach not only contributes to waste reduction but also promotes the repurposing of agricultural waste materials.

This study is about the preparation of rice straw, which is produced as agricultural waste, by ZnCl2 activation and the usability of the prepared adsorbent material in the purification of drugs used as analgesics such as diclofenac sodium and paracetamol. Although there are studies on the use of activated carbon produced from rice straw in the removal of pollutants such as dye, studies on drug removal are quite limited.