A systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge
Abstract Increasingly stringent water quality standards are forcing more water treatment facilities to implement adsorption steps. Activated carbon is efficient but has a high environmental impact due to CO₂ emissions and energy demand. Adsorbents derived from water treatment residuals offer a poten...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | npj Clean Water |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00507-w |
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| author | Lucas Landwehrkamp Minja Bogunović Koljaja Munima Sultana Ivana Ivančev-Tumbas Stefan Panglisch |
| author_facet | Lucas Landwehrkamp Minja Bogunović Koljaja Munima Sultana Ivana Ivančev-Tumbas Stefan Panglisch |
| author_sort | Lucas Landwehrkamp |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Increasingly stringent water quality standards are forcing more water treatment facilities to implement adsorption steps. Activated carbon is efficient but has a high environmental impact due to CO₂ emissions and energy demand. Adsorbents derived from water treatment residuals offer a potential solution. In this study, a novel laboratory rotary furnace was designed to produce clay-carbon composite adsorbents from drinking water treatment residues. The process was optimized using a statistical design of experiments, representing the first comprehensive statistical analysis of the thermal activation of such residuals. Thermal activation increased the specific surface area almost tenfold (112–201 m²/g). The adsorbents were tested for removal of ibuprofen, caffeine, diclofenac (1 µg/L), and brilliant blue FCF (5 mg/L). Response surface models showed that heating rate (p < 0.003) and ramp duration (p < 0.00002) significantly influenced adsorption capacity. Mass balance calculations suggest on-site production could fully substitute activated carbon and generate surplus material. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1df36e289fb54d919bdb1c24926df396 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2059-7037 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Clean Water |
| spelling | doaj-art-1df36e289fb54d919bdb1c24926df3962025-08-20T03:42:19ZengNature Portfolionpj Clean Water2059-70372025-08-018111010.1038/s41545-025-00507-wA systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludgeLucas Landwehrkamp0Minja Bogunović Koljaja1Munima Sultana2Ivana Ivančev-Tumbas3Stefan Panglisch4University of Duisburg-Essen, Chair for Mechanical Process Engineering / Water TechnologyUniversity of Novi Sad, Department for Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Section for Chemical Technology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of Duisburg-Essen, Chair for Mechanical Process Engineering / Water TechnologyUniversity of Novi Sad, Department for Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Section for Chemical Technology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of Duisburg-Essen, Chair for Mechanical Process Engineering / Water TechnologyAbstract Increasingly stringent water quality standards are forcing more water treatment facilities to implement adsorption steps. Activated carbon is efficient but has a high environmental impact due to CO₂ emissions and energy demand. Adsorbents derived from water treatment residuals offer a potential solution. In this study, a novel laboratory rotary furnace was designed to produce clay-carbon composite adsorbents from drinking water treatment residues. The process was optimized using a statistical design of experiments, representing the first comprehensive statistical analysis of the thermal activation of such residuals. Thermal activation increased the specific surface area almost tenfold (112–201 m²/g). The adsorbents were tested for removal of ibuprofen, caffeine, diclofenac (1 µg/L), and brilliant blue FCF (5 mg/L). Response surface models showed that heating rate (p < 0.003) and ramp duration (p < 0.00002) significantly influenced adsorption capacity. Mass balance calculations suggest on-site production could fully substitute activated carbon and generate surplus material.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00507-w |
| spellingShingle | Lucas Landwehrkamp Minja Bogunović Koljaja Munima Sultana Ivana Ivančev-Tumbas Stefan Panglisch A systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge npj Clean Water |
| title | A systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge |
| title_full | A systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge |
| title_fullStr | A systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge |
| title_full_unstemmed | A systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge |
| title_short | A systematic approach towards a zero-waste water treatment: clay-carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge |
| title_sort | systematic approach towards a zero waste water treatment clay carbon composite adsorbents made from drinking water treatment sludge |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00507-w |
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