The persistent increase in the amount of nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory
drugs such as ibuprofen (IBP) and diclofenac (DCF) in water bodies
is alarming, thereby calling for a need to be addressed. To address
this challenge, a bimetallic (copper and zinc) plantain-based adsorbent
(CZPP) and reduced graphene oxide modified form (CZPPrgo) was prepared
by facile synthesis for the removal of ibuprofen (IBP) and diclofenac
(DCF) in water. Both the CZPP and CZPPrgo were characterized by different
techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),
X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
and pHpzc analysis. FTIR and XRD confirmed the successful
synthesis of the CZPP and CZPPrgo. The adsorption of the contaminants
was carried out in a batch system, and several operational variables
were optimized. The adsorption is affected by the initial concentration
of the pollutants (5–30 mg·L–1), the
adsorbent dose (0.05–0.20 g), and pH (2.0–12.0). The
CZPPrgo has the best performance with maximum adsorption capacities
of 148 and 146 mg·g–1 for removing IBP and
DCF from water, respectively. The experimental data were fitted into
different kinetic and isotherm models; the removal of IBP and DCF
follows the pseudo-second order, which can be best explained by the
Freundlich isotherm model. The reuse efficiency was above 80% even
after four adsorption cycles. This shows that the CZPPrgo is a promising
adsorbent for removing IBP and DCF in water.