Enhancing Ibuprofen Removal and Antioxidant Potential: A Biochar Study

This study explores the potential of oak and larch biochar, treated with NaOH, for ibuprofen removal. Larch biochar exhibits higher yields, superior ibuprofen removal, and increased antioxidant activity in recovered lignin compared to oak. The findings contribute to sustainable solutions for pharmaceutical pollutant remediation and environmental applications.

February 20, 2024

1–2 minutes

Song & Lee (2024) Valorization 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 and lignin derived from the NaOH pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More for applications as an adsorbent and antioxidant. *Biomass & Bioenergy*. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2024.107103

In this study, oak and larch pretreated with NaOH were carbonized, and the suitability of their physical and chemical properties for ibuprofen adsorption was analyzed. Lignin (NaOH-L) was also separated from the liquid fraction generated after NaOH pretreatment, and its antioxidant activity was evaluated.

The biochar yield of pretreated biomass was higher than that of the raw material, and the biochar yield from larch (28.76–34.81%) was higher than that from oak (26.62–28.35%). The carbon content of the biochar was also higher than that of the raw material, while the oxygen content decreased on the biochar.

The biochar obtained from oak exhibited its highest specific surface area (403.18 m2/g) when pretreated with 2% NaOH, whereas the larch biochar had its highest specific surface area (481.18 m2/g) when prepared using the raw material.

The larch biochar exhibited a higher ibuprofen removal efficiency than did the oak biochar, with the Freundlich isothermal model most accurately describing the ibuprofen adsorption behavior. Furthermore, larch exhibited a higher NaOH-L recovery yield (16.98 and 21.93%) than oak (5.83 and 15.02%).

The NaOH-L from larch (IC50 for DPPH and ABTS of 0.49–1.03 and 0.04–0.06, respectively) had a higher antioxidant activity than that of oak (IC50 for DPPH and ABTS of 1.77–2.68 and 0.39–0.53, respectively). The removal rate of ibuprofen was high for larch biochar following a 4% NaOH pretreatment. Additionally, the antioxidant activity was high for the recovered lignin under the same conditions.