title: Pyrolysis condition affected sulfamethazine sorption by tea waste biochars.
abstract: Sulfamethazine (SMT) as a veterinary drug has been detected frequently in the environment. In this study, six biochars produced from tea waste (TW) at 300 and 700 °C with or without N2 and steam activation were characterized and evaluated for SMT sorption in water. The sorption of SMT was interpreted as a function of biochar production condition, SMT concentration, pH and physicochemical characteristics of biochar. Distribution coefficient data showed high sorption of SMT at low pH (∼3) and the highest sorption density of 33.81 mg g(-1) was achieved by the steam activated biochar produced at 700 °C. The steam activation process increased the adsorption capacity by increasing the surface area of the biochar. The π-π electron donor-acceptor interaction, cation-π interaction and cation exchange at low pH were the primary mechanisms governing SMT retention by biochars. Overall, steam activated tea waste biochar could be a promising remedy of SMT removal from water.
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center and Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; Chemical and Environmental Systems Modeling Research Group, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Anushka Upamali
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Rajapaksha
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center and Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; Chemical and Environmental Systems Modeling Research Group, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Meththika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vithanage
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center and Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, PR China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center and Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; Soil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mahtab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.affiliation: Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Scott X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center and Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: soilok@kangwon.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ok
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015233:Models, Statistical; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013227:Steam; D013418:Sulfamethazine / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D013227:Steam; D013662:Tea; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C540010:biochar; D002606:Charcoal; D013418:Sulfamethazine
keywords: Black carbon; Charcoal; Emerging contaminant; Low cost adsorbent; Veterinary antibiotics