Valorización de la Cáscara de Cacao: Extracción de Aceite Esencial y Evaluación de su Biomasa como Adsorbente de Omeprazol

Abstract

The generation of agro-industrial waste and the presence of emerging pollutants in bodies of water represent relevant environmental problems. Among these contaminants, omeprazole, a widely used drug whose elimination by conventional treatments is limited, stands out. In this context, the objective of the work was to valorize the cocoa husk by extracting its oil and to evaluate the residual biomass as an adsorbent to remove omeprazole in aqueous solutions. The methodology included Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane and water, and the characterization of the residue using FTIR, BET and SEM. Adsorption was evaluated in discontinuous systems under different operating conditions, applying kinetic and isothermal models, and later in continuous systems in fixed-bed columns, adjusting the data to rupture models. The results showed 23.24% lipophilic compounds with n-hexane and an increase in surface area from 1.72 to 2.45 m2/g after treatment. In the batch system, the optimal mass was 0.7 g and the contact time was 90 min, achieving 90.8 % removal for 20 mg/L and a capacity of 1.2975 mg/g. Kinetics were adjusted to the pseudo-second-order model and equilibrium to the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.993). In continuous, the best condition was 2.8 cm in height, 2 g of adsorbent and 2 mL/min, with a good fit to the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models. It is concluded that the treated cocoa husk is a sustainable adsorbent with high potential to remove omeprazole.