Investigation of the adsorption capacity of ethyl cellulose-doped clay mineral

Tetracycline (TC), a widely used antibiotic, is an environmental contaminant that can cause pollution in water systems. TC, which is used for human and animal health, can enter water resources when it cannot be sufficiently degraded in wastewater treatment plants or when biological treatment processes are insufficient. This situation causes negative impacts on both the environment and public health. Therefore, reducing antibiotic residues in water resources and developing treatment methods are important for a sustainable environment. Clays play a very important role in wastewater treatment. Clay minerals provide an effective surface area for adsorbing pollutants due to their high surface area and surface charge. Montmorillonite (MMT) is frequently used in adsorption systems for the removal of various pollutants due to its structural properties, high surface area, cation exchange capacity and water retention ability. TC adsorption using MMT aims to be an effective method for the removal of persistent pollutants such as tetracycline, especially in drinking water and wastewater treatment. Thanks to the properties of this clay, TC can be removed from water in an economical and sustainable way without harming the environment. MMT-based adsorption systems are an important treatment technique to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance in the future and to protect water resources. In this study, ethyl cellulose (EC) doped montmorillonite (MMT) composite will be prepared and its performance in TC adsorption will be investigated. The composite adsorbent will be extensively characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TGA and zeta potential measurement analysis. Adsorption capacity will be observed by model analysis, isotherm kinetics, contact time, pH effect, adsorption thermodynamics.