batch study on rifampicin removal from aqueous solution by live and dead chlorella

Pharmaceutical contamination of aquatic environments poses a significant threat to ecosystems and public health. rifampicin, a first-line antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis, is often detected in wastewater, contributing to antimicrobial resistance and toxicity to aquatic organisms. in this study, the biosorption potential of live and dead chlorella for the removal of rifampicin under batch conditions was investigated. several parameters of dead chlorella were evaluated to select the optimal conditions for the removal process. the optimal ph was 4, at which the maximum adsorption capacity, q max, was 58 mg/g. the optimum temperature was also tested, and it was found that 25 °c yielded the best result, with a maximum adsorption capacity of q max = 65 mg/g. the contact time, initial rifampicin concentration, and algae biomass dosage were systematically studied to determine their effect on the removal efficiency. the results showed that live chlorella exhibited much higher adsorption capacity than dead chlorella. these results suggest that the inactive microalgae biomass could be an effective and environmentally friendly bioadsorbent for treating antibiotic-contaminated wastewater.