Removal of the pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater by biochar

Abstract

Water pollution from pharmaceutical compounds is a critical global challenge. The pharmaceutical compounds and their subsequent metabolites are termed emerging contaminants. The detection of these compounds in surface water and groundwater as well as conventional wastewater treatment plant effluent necessitates a sustainable solution to remove these pollutants to protect water resources. Multiple biological, chemical, and physical methods have been employed to clean the wastewater from the pharmaceuticals. However, they are either low efficiency or expensive. Recently, adsorption has gained prominence in removing pharmaceutical contaminants due to its high efficiency and low capital requirement. Several investigations are conducted to produce low-cost but highly efficient adsorbents for pharmaceutical removal. Biochar, a solid carbonized by-product obtained from biomass pyrolysis, is considered a cheap replacement to commercially available materials to clean the wastewaters. Biochar with or without modification is used for the removal of pharmaceutical contaminants and their metabolites. The biochar modifications such as alkali/ acid modification, magnetic biochar, metal impregnated biochar, microwave-activated biochar, the improvement in biochar properties with these modifications, and enhanced adsorptive removal of pharmaceutical compounds by modified biochar will be discussed in this chapter. � 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.