# Study of pharmaceuticals molecules adsorption on soils and activated carbons elaborated from agricultural residues

Pauline Moreau, Emeline Coisy, Malik Bouzbid, Cedric Morio, Fabien Ferré, Antoissi Mohamed Ali, Benoît Cagnon

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Pauline Moreau, Emeline Coisy, Malik Bouzbid, Cedric Morio, Fabien Ferré, et al.. Study of pharmaceuticals molecules adsorption on soils and activated carbons elaborated from agricultural residues. The word conference of Carbon, Jun 2025, Saint Malo, France. hal-05138374

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# Study of pharmaceuticals molecules adsorption on soils and activated carbons elaborated from agricultural residues

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## Authors

Pauline Moreau¹, Emeline Coisy¹, Malik Bouzbid¹, Cédric Morio², Fabien Ferré², Antoissi Mohamed Ali³, Benoît Cagnon³

¹BRGM, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2.

²Orléans Métropole, Direction du Cycle de l'Eau et des Réseaux d'Energie, 5 Place du 6 juin 1944, 45000 Orléans.

³ICMN, UMR 7374, CNRS, Université d'Orléans, 1B rue de la Férollerie, CS40059, 45071 Orléans Cedex 2.

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The World Conference on Carbon
Saint-Malo, Palais du Grand Large
June 29th – July 4th

## Introduction :

* The presence of several organic emerging pollutants (OEP) has been evidenced in different water bodies.

* Some of these OEP are ubiquitous, persistent, biologically active, or even endocrine disruptors.

* Their occurrence may be related to their insufficient reduction from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP).

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need to improve wastewater treatment as regard to some OEP.

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In the context of water REUSE : need to assess the impact of OEP on both soil and receiving underground water.

## BIOSEPUR Project (APR-IR) : Biomass recovery and soil treatment for wastewater treatment

### 1 / Development of innovative and more efficient eco-processes to reduce OEP concentrations

### 2 / Study of the sorption on soil of selected OEP

#### Site description

#### Activated carbons development

agricultural residues (rapeseed straw, flax and switchgrass) were transformed into activated carbons (AC) in the context of biomass valorization

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>Switchgrass</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>Rapeseed straw</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /><figcaption>Flax</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /><figcaption>Switchgrass</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_12.png" /><figcaption>Rapeseed straw</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /><figcaption>Flax</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Agricultural residues</caption>

<caption>Biochemical composition of biomass</caption>

#### Production of activated carbons (AC)

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /><figcaption>Production of ACs by chemical activation with $H_3PO_4$</figcaption></figure>

#### Textural properties

Nitrogen adsorption isotherms on ACS allow the determination of textural properties

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<table><caption>Ratio $m_{H_3PO_4}/m_{biomass}$ effect on textural properties</caption><thead><tr><th></th><th>SWT</th><th>straw</th><th>L27</th><th>L39</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>S<sub>tot</sub> (m.g<sup>-1</sup>)</th><td>799</td><td>801</td><td>1056</td><td>1151</td></tr><tr><th>% micro (%)</th><td>69.57</td><td>78.39</td><td>37.8</td><td>49.87</td></tr><tr><th>% meso (%)</th><td>30.43</td><td>21.61</td><td>62.20</td><td>50.13</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Adsorption of pollutants by activated carbon

Two molecules studied : Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Sulfamethoxazole (SMX)

<figure><img src="image_17.png" /><figcaption>Ratio effect of Switchgrass ACs on SMX adsorption</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_18.png" /><figcaption>Adsorption of Carbamazepine</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_19.png" /><figcaption>Adsorption of Sulfamethoxazole</figcaption></figure>

#### Conclusion:

* The activated carbon from switchgrass have the most suitable properties for water treatment;

* The 1.5/1 ratio of $m_{H_3PO_4}/m_{biomass}$ produces ACs with the best adsorption capacity;

* Activated carbon from switchgrass has an adsorption capacity comparable to commercial ACs.

In summer, the Parc Floral at Orléans is watered with REUSE water from the neighboring sewage treatment plant.

* 8 soil samples were taken from different locations and depths (surface and 40 cm deep)

* 2 samples were selected for batch sorption experiment

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th>Soil PP</th><th>Soil BS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Depth</th><td>40 cm</td><td>surface</td></tr><tr><th>Soil type</th><td>Sandy clay</td><td>sand</td></tr><tr><th>Clay content</th><td>32.5 %</td><td>9.8 %</td></tr><tr><th>Silt content</th><td>15.3 %</td><td>13.7 %</td></tr><tr><th>Sand content</th><td>51.2 %</td><td>71.4 %</td></tr><tr><th>C %</th><td>0.57 %</td><td>2.98 %</td></tr><tr><th>pH</th><td>7.5</td><td>7.7</td></tr></tbody></table>

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#### Batch sorption experiments

* 2 molecules studied : benzotriazole (BTA) and atenolol (ATN). They were quantified in the REUSE water in concentration > 0,1 µg/L.

* Isotherms determination using OECD 106 protocol

* Data adjustment with Freundlich equation

$$C_s = K_f C_e^{1/nf}$$

<table><caption>Experimental Freundlich isotherm coefficients</caption><thead><tr><th colspan="2">BTA</th><th colspan="2">ATN</th></tr><tr><th>Soil PP</th><th>Soil BS</th><th>Soil PP</th><th>Soil BS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1.9</td><td>7.0</td><td>13.4</td><td>43.1</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><caption>BTA Adsorption isotherms</caption><tbody><tr><th>Kd mean (mL/g)</th><td>1.9</td><td>7.0</td><td>13.4</td><td>43.1</td></tr><tr><th>Kf<sub>exp</sub> (µg<sup>-1</sup>/n(cm<sup>3</sup>)<sup>-1</sup> g<sup>-1</sup>)</th><td>1.4</td><td>5.3</td><td>11.5</td><td>20.1</td></tr><tr><th>1/n</th><td>0.85</td><td>0.91</td><td>0.85</td><td>0.64</td></tr><tr><th>R<sup>2</sup></th><td>0.99</td><td>1.00</td><td>1.00</td><td>0.99</td></tr></tbody></table>

<figure><img src="image_21.png" /><figcaption>ATN adsorption isotherms</figcaption></figure>

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* Higher sorption of BTA and ATN on the sandy soil, with higher carbon content, in agreement with [2] and [3]

* The adsorption of ATN on both soils was high compared to the adsorption of BTA.

### Bibliographie

[1] Jia *et al.*, 2006, doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.10.021

[2] Kodešová *et al.*, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.088

This study was part of the BIOSEPUR project that received funding from the Région Centre-Val de Loire under Grant agreement number 2022-00150391

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ORLÉANS
MÉTROPOLE

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Orléans
ICAR-

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Université d'ORLÉANS

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