Title:Conventional and Microwave Pyrolysis for Preparation of Sewage Sludge- Activated Carbons for Pharmaceuticals Removal: A Mini-Review
VOLUME: 18 ISSUE: 4
Author(s):Glaydson Simoes dos Reis*, Eder Claudio Lima and Pascal Silas Thue
Affiliation:Graduate Program in Metallurgical, Mine, and Materials Engineering (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Graduate Program in Metallurgical, Mine, and Materials Engineering (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS
Keywords:Anthropic, conventional and microwave pyrolysis, pharmaceuticals adsorption, sewage sludge, sludge-activated
carbon, wastewaters.
Abstract:Sewage sludge shows excellent potential as pyrolysis feedstock in generating valuable
products such as activated carbons (ACs). In this mini-review the preparation of sewage sludge-ACs
by two kinds of pyrolysis conventional and microwave heating is presented and discussed. The main
difference between conventional pyrolysis and the microwave-assisted method is the way the heat is
generated, and both can provide ACs with different textural and chemical properties. Based on what
was demonstrated in this work, it is possible to say that both kinds of pyrolysis (microwave and conventional
methods) can produce high specific surface area and efficiently activated carbons from
sewage sludge. It was also demonstrated that sludge-ACs produced by both pyrolysis methods could
reach very high uptakes of pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions. The van der Waals interactions,
hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions of the aromatic ring of the adsorbent with the aromatic rings
of the pharmaceuticals have been mentioned to be some of the main mechanisms governing the
pharmaceuticals adsorption by ACs.
