HomeAbstract of 6th-ccgconfDevelopment of a Novel Magnetic Biochar for the Removal of Cephalexin from Wastewater and Environmental Impact Assessment

Development of a Novel Magnetic Biochar for the Removal of Cephalexin from Wastewater and Environmental Impact Assessment

  • Nov 19, 2025
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Abstract Book of the 6th World Conference on Climate Change and Global Warming

Year: 2025

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Development of a Novel Magnetic Biochar for the Removal of Cephalexin from Wastewater and Environmental Impact Assessment

Soumen Panda, B C Meikap

ABSTRACT:

The presence of antibiotics in water bodies poses a significant concern, as they contribute to antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments and lead to bioaccumulation. In this regard, the present study focuses on the removal of the widely used antibiotic cephalexin using a novel magnetic biochar adsorbent and evaluates the environmental impact of the biochar synthesis. The adsorbent was synthesized by single-step pyrolysis of FeCl3-impregnated waste sawdust biomass at 800°C with the minimal use of FeCl3 as the sole activating agent. Characterization techniques, such as BET, SEM, FTIR, and VSM, confirmed a large surface area, porous surface, abandoned functional groups, and the presence of magnetic properties in the adsorbent, which enables easy magnetic separation and avoids secondary pollution. A batch study was conducted to assess the cephalexin uptake ability of the adsorbent and to evaluate the effect of pH, dose, contact time, and temperature on the adsorption. The adsorption of cephalexin follows pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm. The Langmuir isotherm shows maximum cephalexin uptake of 143.9 mg/L. Further, the life cycle assessment (LCA) study of the adsorbent synthesis using OpenLCA software provided insight into the environmental impact of the process. In the LCA study, the effect of three different sources of electricity, such as coal, diesel, and natural gas, on the biochar synthesis was analyzed. The study presented 14 environmental impact indicators and revealed that the maximum environmental impact (climate change- GWP100 = 10.1 kg-CO2-Eq) occurs for coal, and the minimum impact (GWP100 = 0.72 kg-CO2-Eq) for natural gas.

Keywords: Cephalexin Adsorption, Environmental Impact, Life Cycle Assessment, Magnetic Biochar