Modification of biochar derived from sawdust and its application in removal of tetracycline and copper from aqueous solution: Adsorption mechanism and modelling

[Display omitted] •Efficient tetracycline and Cu(II) sorption on iron and zinc doped sawdust biochar.•A mechanistic description of tetracycline and Cu(II) sorption using modelling.•The enhancement and competition of their interaction onto Fe/Zn-biochar was studied.•Give new insights on the development of biochar and advances its applications. Highly efficient simultaneous removal of Cu(II) and tetracycline (TET) from aqueous solution was accomplished by iron and zinc doped sawdust biochar (Fe/Zn-biochar). The mutual effects and inner mechanisms of their adsorption onto Fe/Zn-biochar were systematically investigated via sole and binary systems, sorption isotherm and adsorption kinetics models. The liquid-film diffusion step might be the rate-limiting step for tetracycline, the interaction of Cu(II) was more likely controlled by both intra particle diffusion model and liquid film diffusion model. The fitting of experimental data with kinetic models, Temkin model indicates that the adsorption process of tetracycline and Cu(II) involve chemisorption, and physico-chemical adsorption, respectively. There exists site competition and enhancement of Cu(II) and tetracycline on the sorption to Fe/Zn-biochar. The results of this study indicate that modification of biochar derived from sawdust shows great potential for simultaneous removal of Cu(II) and tetracycline from co-contaminated water.