Application of advanced oxidation processes to doxycycline and norfloxacin removal from water

J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng. 2011;46(9):944-51. doi: 10.1080/10934529.2011.586249.

Abstract

Doxycycline (Dxy) and Norfloxacin (Nfx) have been oxidized by means of different technologies of increasing complexity. Preliminary experiments showed that activated carbon adsorption (1.0 g L⁻¹) of these antibiotics (C(Antibiotic) = 5 × 10⁻⁵ M) led to a 60 and 85 % of total organic carbon (TOC) removal, however, a significant decrease in adsorption capacity was experienced after several reuses of the adsorbent. UV-C irradiation of Dxy (20 % removal in 2 h) or Nfx (90 % removal in 2 h) did not affect the initial TOC content of the solution while single ozonation (C(O₃) gas inlet concentration = 15.0 ppm) led to the instantaneous disappearance of the parent compounds while TOC conversion values in the proximity of 40 % were obtained. Complex systems based on the combination of ozone, UV-C radiation, titanium dioxide and activated carbon led to similar TOC removals of the order of 70 and 65 % for Dxy and Nfx, respectively. An attempt has been made to calculate the quantum yield and direct ozonation rate constants for doxycycline and norfloxacin. Additionally, the best systems, i.e., the O₃ and O₃/UV-C processes, have been simulated by a pseudoempirical model by considering TOC as a surrogate parameter.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / radiation effects
  • Charcoal / chemistry
  • Doxycycline / chemistry
  • Doxycycline / isolation & purification*
  • Doxycycline / radiation effects
  • Kinetics
  • Norfloxacin / chemistry
  • Norfloxacin / isolation & purification*
  • Norfloxacin / radiation effects
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Ozone / chemistry
  • Titanium / chemistry
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / radiation effects
  • Water Purification / methods*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • titanium dioxide
  • Charcoal
  • Ozone
  • Titanium
  • Norfloxacin
  • Doxycycline