An environmentally benign chelative biosorbent for efficient adsorption remediation of tetracycline contamination

Antibiotic contamination has been a concerning environmental issue due to its potential threats to the development of drug-resistant bacteria and genes. Plant polyphenols were employed as biomolecule chelating ligands to graft onto collagen fibers, followed by the chelative immobilization of Fe ions. The as-obtained environmentally benign chelative biosorbent (CFBT-Fe) features a classic fibrous structure, excellent distribution and reservation of Fe ions, increased thermal stability, and inhibited swelling behavior owing to the introduction of bayberry tannin. An exceptional adsorption capacity of tetracycline on CFBT-Fe is exhibited across a broad pH range (3.0–10.0). Optimal adsorption capacity (31.30 mg/g) occurs at neutral pH 7.0, which is higher than many other similar biosorbents reported in the literature. The CFBT-Fe exhibits exceptional recyclability with sixth-cycle adsorption performance at 25.27 mg/g. The environmentally benign coordinative biosorbent is considered a promising candidate for the effective adsorptive removal of tetracycline from aquatic environments across a wide pH range.