adsorption of sulfasalazine by using a cu(ii) modified magnetic chitosan

Abstract: groundwater contamination by pharmaceutical ingredients such as antidepressants, analgesics, contraceptives, antibiotics has become an environmental problem of widespread concern. antibiotics are probably the most successful family of drugs so far developed to improve human health. sulfasalazine (ssz) is a synthetic drug and a combination of antibiotic (sulfapyridine) and an anti-inflammatory agent (5-aminosalysilic acid). many methods have been attempted for the removal of antibiotic drugs from different water sources [1]. magnetic nanoparticles (mnps) have been extensively studied as an efficient adsorbent with large surface area causing small diffusion resistance for the separation of pollutant chemicals such as dyes, metals and pharmaceuticals [2]. moreover, mnps cause advantages on ease of separation and fast recovery by employing an external magnet due to prevention of the additional centrifugation or filtration processes [3]. in this work a magnetic cross-linked chitosan nanomaterial was prepared through the reaction of glutaraldehyde with chitosan in the presence of magnetite nanoparticles. the characteristics of the nanocomposite were obtained by using appropriate spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. then, the magnetic nanoadsorbent was used to study the adsorption and extraction of ssz from the effluents in the presence of cu(ii). the isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics of the ssz adsorption on the bio-nanosorbent were investigated. the obtained results revealed that the adsorption of sulfasalazine on the sorbent occurs on a homogenous monolayer and is an endothermic process. the applicability of the nanoadsorbent on the ssz separation from lake, well and river water samples was considered. a certain amount of the magnetic nanoadsorbent (20 mg) was employed for 6 consecutive adsorption and elution (with ammonia) steps. the results showed that the adsorption and elution yields were about 97% and 86-90%, respectively.