Activated carbon (AC)/CoFeO nanocomposites, MAC-1 and MAC-2, were prepared by a simple pyrolytic method using a mixture of iron(III)/cobalt(II) benzoates and iron(III)/cobalt(II) oxalates, respectively, and were used as efficient adsorbents for the removal of amoxicillin (AMX) and paracetamol (PCT) of aqueous effluents. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The sizes of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles formed from benzoates of iron(III)/cobalt(II) and oxalates of iron(III)/cobalt(II) precursors were in the ranges of 5-80 and 6-27 nm, respectively. The saturation magnetization (M ), remanence (M) and coercivity (H ) of the MAC-2 nanocomposites were found to be 3.07 emu g, 1.36 emu g and 762.49 Oe; for MAC-1, they were 0.2989 emu g, 0.0466 emu g and 456.82 Oe. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies were investigated, and the results showed that the as-prepared nanocomposites MAC-1 and MAC-2 could be utilized as an efficient, magnetically separable adsorbent for environmental cleanup. The maximum sorption capacities obtained were 280.9 and 444.2 mg g of AMX for MAC-1 and MAC-2, respectively, and 215.1 and 399.9 mg g of PCT using MAC-1 and MAC-2, respectively. Both adsorbents were successfully used for simulated hospital effluents, removing at least 93.00 and 96.77% for MAC-1 and MAC-2, respectively, of a mixture of nine pharmaceuticals with high concentrations of sugars, organic components and saline concentrations.

The extraction of sulphur produces a hematite-rich waste, known as roasted pyrite ash, which contains significant amounts of environmentally sensitive elements in variable concentrations and modes of occurrence. Whilst the mineralogy of roasted pyrite ash associated with iron or copper mining has been studied, as this is the main source of sulphur worldwide, the mineralogy, and more importantly, the characterization of nanoparticles, in coal-derived roasted pyrite ash remain to be resolved. In this work we provide essential data on the chemical composition and nanomineralogical assemblage of roasted pyrite ash. XRD, HR-TEM and FE-SEM were used to identify a large variety of minerals of anthropogenic origin. These phases result from highly complex chemical reactions occurring during the processing of coal pyrite of southern Brazil for sulphur extraction and further manufacture of sulphuric acid. Iron-rich nanoparticles within the ash may contain high proportions of toxic elements such as As, 2 Se, U, among others. A number of elements, such as As, Cr, Cu, Co, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Zn, and Zr, were found to be present in individual nanoparticles and nanominerals (e.g. oxides, sulphates, clays) in concentrations up to 5%. The study of nanominerals in roasted pyrite ash from coal rejects is important to develop an understanding on the nature of this by-product, and to assess the interaction between emitted nanominerals, ultra-fine particles, and atmospheric gases, rain or body fluids, and thus to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of pyrite ash materials.

Activated carbons (ACs) prepared from tucumã seed (Astrocaryum aculeatum) were used for 2-nitrophenol removal from aqueous solutions. The ACs were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, N adsorption/desorption isotherms, TGA, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity balance, and total of acidic and basic groups. The ACs showed to have hydrophilic surfaces and they presented high specific surface areas (up to 1318 m g). In batch optimization studies, maximum removal was obtained at pH 7, contact time of 30 min, adsorbent dosage 1.5 gL and temperature of 50°C. The general-order kinetic model and Liu isotherm model best fit the kinetic and equilibrium adsorption data with a maximum adsorption capacity of 1382 mg g at 50°C. Effect of temperature and thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption processes of 2-nitrophenol onto ACs are dependent on temperature and are exothermic and spontaneous, respectively. About the applicability of the ACs for treating simulated effluents, the tucumã seed-activated carbon showed an excellent outcome in the treatment of simulated effluents, evidencing its high efficiency for phenolic compound adsorption. Tucumã seed-ACs showed to be cost effective and highly efficient adsorbents for efficient removal of 2-nitrophenol from aqueous solutions.

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An inorganic sludge from construction and demolition wastes (ICDW) was grafted with APTES to obtain an inorganic-organic modified adsorbent ICDW-APTES. This adsorbent was successfully employed for ciprofloxacin (CFX) adsorption and treatment of synthetic hospital effluent. The chemical composition of ICDW presented large quantities of SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3, which supports its application for being functionalized by APTES that occurred through a chemical reaction between the surface oxygen groups of oxides with the silanol groups of the APTES. The characterization data suggested that APTES was successfully grafted on the ICDW structure. The kinetic studies showed that the general-order provided the best fitness for CFX adsorption on ICDW-APTES. Liu isotherm model presented the best fitness for the equilibrium studies, and it provided a Q max of 138.0 mg g −1 at 40.0°C. Electrostatic interaction was the primary mechanism involved in the adsorption process. The ICDW-APTES also exhibited a good percentage of removal of the two synthetic effluents (71.0 % and 69.0 %).