Kristiana Lazarova

This study explores the use of the waste-pretreated biomass of the macro-fungus Ganoderma resinaceum as a biosorbent for removing ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the biosorption performance of G. resinaceum under varying conditions. Key operational parameters—including pH, biosorbent dosage, contact time, and initial ciprofloxacin concentration—were systematically assessed. Equilibrium was reached within 120 min. Equilibrium data were fitted to both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models, with the Langmuir model providing a better fit. Under optimal conditions (initial pH of 7.0, 120-min contact time, 1 g/L biosorbent dosage, and ciprofloxacin concentrations ranging from 4 to 20 mg/L), the maximum biosorption capacity was determined to be 18.4 mg/g. Kinetic analysis revealed that the biosorption process followed a pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, the biomass was characterized before and after biosorption using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The FT-IR analysis of G. resinaceum biomass revealed the presence of hydroxyl, amino, and carbonyl functional groups, which play a crucial role in the binding and biosorption of ciprofloxacin molecules.

The removal of pharmaceuticals from aqueous environments has become a critical ecological challenge. Biosorption has emerged as a promising and cost-effective solution for pharmaceutical removal. This review examines the potential of microbial and algal-derived biosorbents, including fungi, bacteria, and algae, in the biosorption of pharmaceuticals from water. The removal efficiency of various types of biosorbents is discussed in relation to the chemical structure and functional groups presented on the biosorbent surfaces at various process parameters, such as pH, contact time, biosorbent dosage, and initial pharmaceutical concentration. Additionally, the benefits of chemical and physical modifications, immobilization techniques, and the reusability of biosorbents are highlighted. The major goal of the present review is not just to gather and discuss information about possible mechanisms of biosorption, which to some extent are still speculative, and to explain the effect of process parameters on the removal but also to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of various types of microbial/algal biosorbents and to ease the selection of proper biosorbents for pharmaceuticals removal. In this way, the review will benefit and induce more technological studies in the field of biosorption.