A Review of Biochar as a Stable Adsorbent for Removing Antibiotics from Wastewater

One of the most recent environmental concerns is the emergence of new pollutants, such as antibiotics, and increasing antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Therefore, achieving effective methods for treating these pollutants is very important and considerable. Extensive studies have been conducted on antibiotic removal from water by carbon-based materials. Engineered biochar-based adsorbents and biochar composites can effectively increase the yield of antibiotics adsorption. Adsorbents based on biochars are made from various raw materials at different conditions. Also, physically and chemically modified biochars and their composites could be used. The structure and physicochemical properties of adsorbents and antibiotics and the environmental conditions affect the absorption of antibiotics by biochars. Research has shown that biochar has many advantages, including a wide variety of available raw materials, and they are cheap. Furthermore, it could be regenerated and reused by efficient management, which is the significant advantage of biochar-based adsorbents. Although biochar usage is a good choice for removing antibiotics from aqueous solutions, it is possible to improve its adsorption capacity with more studies to optimize the main parameters and new methods in its production and thus cause economic benefits.