AI Insight
This study investigates the use of activated carbon derived from pomegranate peel as a low-cost, eco-friendly adsorbent for removing amoxicillin, a widely detected pharmaceutical contaminant, from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of parameters such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial antibiotic concentration on removal efficiency. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses were performed to characterize the adsorption mechanism, with results suggesting the process follows pseudo-second-order kinetics and is consistent with a spontaneous, endothermic interaction.
Why it matters
Antibiotic contamination in water bodies poses significant risks to public health and ecosystems by promoting antimicrobial resistance, and this research proposes a sustainable, waste-derived material as a viable solution for water treatment applications in resource-limited settings.