Rice husk ash as sorbent for solid phase extraction of diclofenac, ibuprofen and carboplatin residues from waters

Abstract

Carboplatin, ibuprofen and diclofenac are among drugs classified as emergent pharmaceutical contaminants that impact negatively the environment. Development of affordable procedures for their quantification and removal from waters is gained interest in the scientific community. The present study was aimed at the characterization of rice husk ash as sorbent for the solid phase extraction of mentioned drugs in waters. Optimal sorbent dose, pH dissolution and contact time were selected. Up to the best of our knowledge, the good performance of rice husk ash for extraction of carboplatin, ibuprofen and diclofenac from aqueous dissolutions is demonstrated for the first time in the present study, achieving a maximum sorption capacity of 5.843 mg.g−1, 2.321 mg.g−1 and 2.316 mg.g−1, respectively, which are higher than those reported for others pharmaceutical products with husk rice ashes. Kinetic of sorption was well modeled by a Lagergren pseudo first order model for diclofenac and by a pseudo second order model of Ho for ibuprofen and carboplatin. Sorption at equilibrium conditions was well modeled by Freundlich and Toth isotherms for diclofenac and ibuprofen, while Sips, Toth and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms adjusted well for carboplatin. Kinetic and at equilibrium conditions studies confirmed the high complexity of involved sorption mechanisms in the three adsorbate/rice husk ash systems considered.