The Kinetic Studies of the Adsorptive Removal of Ampicillin from Simulated Solution Using Plantain Peel Biochar

Student: Gloria Olowoyo (Project, 2025)
Department of Industrial Chemistry
Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

Abstract

This study investigates the kinetic studies of the adsorptive removal of ampicillin from simulated solution using plantain peel biochar. The effects of contact time on the adsorption process were examined, and the kinetic data were modeled using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order equations. The time dependence result showed that the adsorption process was rapid in the initial stages, with 30.04% of ampicillin bound within 5 minutes. The percentage of ampicillin bound increased with contact time, reaching 84.30% at 180 minutes. The pseudo-first-order model showed a poor fit to the experimental data, with a low correlation coefficient (R² = 0.3952). In contrast, the pseudo-second-order model provided an excellent fit to the experimental data, with a high correlation coefficient (R² = 0.9996). The results suggest that the adsorption process is controlled by a chemisorption mechanism, involving the formation of a chemical bond between the ampicillin molecules and the functional groups present on the surface of the plantain peel biochar. The study demonstrates the potential of plantain peel biochar as a low-cost and effective adsorbent for the removal of ampicillin from aqueous solutions.

Keywords
kinetic studies adsorptive removal ampicillin simulated solution plantain biochar
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