The photochemical degradation of norfloxacin (NOR) and oxytetracycline (OTC) was investigated under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The results indicated that both NOR and OTC can be degraded, whereas the reaction rates decreased with increasing concentration of NOR and OTC. The degradation rates of NOR and OTC (5 μM) were 0.0256 min-1 and 0.0140 min-1. Acidic conditions inhibited the degradation of NOR; however, alkaline conditions promoted the degradation of NOR. Meanwhile, the degradation of OTC was promoted by alkaline conditions but hardly affected by acidic conditions. In real water, the degradation of NOR was slower than that in ultrapure water, whereas the degradation of OTC was faster in real water. NOR produced five degradation products, with pathways mainly comprising hydroxylation and defluorination. OTC produced three degradation products, with its degradation pathways mainly consisting of deep oxidation, dehydration, and secondary alcohol oxidation. During the UV photolysis process, the mineralization rates of NOR and OTC (5 μM) were 9.83% and 6.87% after 60-min irradiation. This work can provide a theoretical basis for understanding the migration and transformation behavior of antibiotics in the water environment.
Keywords: Degradation; Kinetics; Mechanism; Norfloxacin; Oxytetracycline; Photolysis.