Green Synthesized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles from Rice Husk for Ciprofloxacin and Ibuprofen Adsorption
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Abstract
Pharmaceutical contamination of water, particularly by ciprofloxacin and ibuprofen, poses serious environmental and health risks. This study investigates the use of rice husk-derived iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) for their removal, utilizing a green synthesis approach that repurposes rice husk, an abundant agricultural byproduct, to produce cost-effective and eco-friendly adsorbents. Comprehensive characterization using techniques such as FTIR, UV-Vis, DLS, SEM, EDS, XRD, and BET confirmed the successful synthesis and desirable properties of the nanoparticles. Batch adsorption experiments revealed high removal efficiencies, with optimal conditions determined for adsorbent dose, shaking time, initial concentration, pH, and temperature. Maximum removal efficiencies were 98.92% for ciprofloxacin and 96.60% for ibuprofen under optimized conditions: pH 7, shaking times of 15 and 25 minutes, adsorbent dose of 100 mg, initial ciprofloxacin and ibuprofen concentrations of 10 mg/L and 4 mg/L, and temperatures of 320K and 300K, respectively. Thermodynamic analysis showed that ciprofloxacin adsorption was spontaneous (negative ΔG), exothermic, and became more favorable at higher temperatures, whereas ibuprofen adsorption was non-spontaneous, endothermic, and decreased with temperature. Kinetic studies indicated that adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, with equilibrium data best fitting the Langmuir model for ciprofloxacin and the Freundlich model for ibuprofen. Maximum adsorption capacities were 4.87 mg/g for ciprofloxacin and 12.49 mg/g for ibuprofen. Reusability tests showed a slight decline in efficiency over four cycles (4.30% for ciprofloxacin, 25.83% for ibuprofen), demonstrating the nanoparticles' potential as a sustainable and cost-effective solution for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Habib I. Adamu, Muhammad D. Faruruwa, Modupe M. Adeyemi, Wasiu B. Tomori (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Habib I. Adamu, Kaduna State University Kaduna, Nigeria.
1Department of Chemistry, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.
2Department of Environmental Management, Kaduna State University Kaduna, Nigeria.
Muhammad D. Faruruwa, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.
1Department of Chemistry, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.
2Department of Environmental Management, Kaduna State University Kaduna, Nigeria.
Modupe M. Adeyemi, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria.
1Department of Chemistry, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.
2Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria.
Wasiu B. Tomori, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria.
1Department of Chemistry, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.
2Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria.
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