De Oliveira Demarco et al., in ACS Omega, investigated the potential of biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More produced from Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) to remove antibiotics from swine wastewater. The study focused on tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotics, which are commonly used in the swine industry and can pose environmental risks if not properly managed.

Biochar was produced by pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More from Eastern red cedar at 450 °C. The sorption tests were performed by mixing biochar and a solution (1:10 ratio) containing each antibiotic in 100, 300, 600, and 900 μg L−1 concentrations. The results indicate that red cedar biochar was able to effectively remove up to 99.93% tetracycline, 96.23% oxytetracycline, 98.28% chlortetracycline, 76.4% sulfadiazine, and 78.6% sulfamethazine at the lowest concentrations. The removal efficiencies at higher concentrations declined up to 83.52, 47.23, 64.16, 69.8, and 58.4% for tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, sulfadiazine, and sulfamethazine, respectively. The biochar exhibited stronger adsorption capacity for chlortetracycline and sulfamethazine compared to the other antibiotics. The likely adsorption mechanisms driving the removal of tetracyclines and sulfonamides are hydrogen-bonding and π−π electron-donor−acceptor, supported by FTIR analyses of the biochar itself. Overall, the results highlighted the potential utilization of eastern red cedar biochar for practical applications, mitigating antibiotic residues from swine wastewater in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner due to its relatively low pyrolysis temperature (450 °C) and sustainable repurposing of an invasive tree species.  

SOURCE: De Oliveira Demarco, J., Hutchinson, S. L., Parameswaran, P., Hettiarachchi, G., & Moore, T. (2025). Removal of antibiotics from swine wastewater using an environmentally friendly biochar: Performance and mechanisms. ACS Omega, 2025(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c07266