Graphene oxide as filter media to remove levofloxacin and lead from aqueous solution

Abstract

There is an increasing need to develop novel and high-efficiency water purification technologies. This work systematically evaluated the potential of using graphene oxide (GO) directly as filter media for the removal of levofloxacin (LEV), an emerging contaminate, and lead (Pb), a heavy metal, from aqueous solution. Batch and fixed-bed experiments were conducted to determine the sorption behaviors of LEV and Pb onto the GO. In the batch system, GO showed strong sorption of the two contaminants with Langmuir maximum adsorption capacities of 256.6 and 227.2 mg g(-1), respectively. The removal of LEV and Pb by GO in fixed-bed columns was high under all tested conditions in both single and mixed solution systems. The removal efficiency of the two contaminants in the GO-sand columns increased with increasing GO content, but decreased with increasing injection flow rate. In the mixed solution system, although LEV and Pb competed for sorption, the GO media still had high removal efficiencies for them. The column experimental data were well described by the Bed Depth Service Time (BDST) model, suggesting the model can be used for the design of GO-sand filters in large-scale applications. Findings from this work demonstrated that GO is a promising nano-adsorbent that can be used as a high-efficiency filter media in water treatment to remove hazardous metal elements and emerging contaminants.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Emerging contaminants; Environmental nanotechnology; Hazardous metal elements; LEV; Pb.