Boudoumi Barkahoum, Guergazi Saadia, and Nouioua Asma, in their study published in RSC Advances , explore the use 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 derived from pumpkin peels as an adsorbent for removing pharmaceuticals from water. The study focuses on the adsorption of mequitazine (found in Primalan) and ethinylestradiol (found in Diane), two widely used drugs that persist in aquatic environments.

The researchers synthesized pumpkin biochar (PB-500) through 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 at 500°C and evaluated its adsorption efficiency under varying conditions such as pHpH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. A pH of 7 is neutral, while lower pH values indicate acidity and higher values indicate alkalinity. Biochars are normally alkaline and can influence soil pH, often increasing it, which can be beneficial More, contact time, and dosage. Results showed that PB-500 effectively removed 66.61% of mequitazine and 62.37% of ethinylestradiol, with the optimal biochar dosage being 0.8 g/L. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, indicating chemisorption as the dominant mechanism, while isotherm analysis revealed that the Freundlich and Sips models best described the adsorption process.

Characterization using FTIR, SEM, and XRD confirmed that PB-500 had a mesoporous structure, high surface area, and functional groups capable of interacting with pharmaceutical compounds. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that adsorption was exothermic, meaning that efficiency decreased at higher temperatures.

This research highlights pumpkin biochar as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly adsorbent for pharmaceutical removal. While PB-500 demonstrated promising performance, future studies should explore biochar activation methods to further enhance its adsorption capacity and assess its real-world applicability in wastewater treatment systems.

SOURCE: Barkahoum, B., Saadia, G., & Asma, N. (2025). Removal of active pharmaceutical compounds in Primalan and Diane using pumpkin biochar: Synthesis, characterization, and adsorption study. RSC Advances, 15, 3066–3079.DOI: 10.1039/d4ra07917e