Adsorption of Ibuprofen and Atenolol at Trace Concentration on Activated Carbon

Abstract

Adsorption isotherms of atenolol and ibuprofen onto activated carbon (AC) at trace concentration in water (initial concentration, 80 μg/L – equilibrium concentration as low as 0.13 μg/L) are presented in this paper. Their adsorption was studied considering two ACs (F400 and Picabiol) showing different textural and chemical characteristics. Experiments were performed in buffered ultrapure water with and without humic acids to evaluate their influence on adsorption. It was found that adsorption was not in agreement with expectations based either on the log Kow or log D values of the target compounds. Adsorption mechanisms were discussed and the experimental isotherms were modelled.